Multiple compartment container

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a container suitable for the packaging and storage in separate compartments of at least two products, which need to be combined to prepare a ready-to-use product, such as a ready-to-eat food product. When the preparation of the ready-to-use product is desired, the container of the present invention allows to easily combine the contents of said compartments and to evacuate the combined products from the container through a closable opening without dislodging any one of the compartments from one another. In case the container is used to package and store components of a ready-to-eat food product, it is preferred that the design of the container allows for the practical consumption of the prepared ready-to-eat food directly from the container.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to containers for storing items separately and mixing them such as a container suitable for the separate packaging and storage of at least two components, which need to be combined in the preparation of a ready-to-use product, such as a ready-to-eat food product. The container of the present invention is further designed to facilitate the mixing of said components at the moment the preparation of the ready-to-use product is desired.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Upon serving, many food products comprise a liquid or colloidal liquid phase wherein solid particulate matter is mixed or suspended. In the preparation of such foods, the particulate solids are added to the liquid or colloidal liquid phase shortly before or at the moment of serving. In many cases it is impossible to maintain the desired organoleptic and texture properties of these foods when the solid and fluid component are mixed prior to prolonged storage. For instance, when breakfast cereals are combined with milk a substantial period of time before serving, their texture and mouthfeel become unpleasant. In consequence, the respective components of such foods are typically separately packaged and distributed and it is left to the consumer to combine them as part of the preparation of a meal. On the other hand, there is a growing demand for tasteful, convenient food products suitable for on-the-go consumption. From the above it is clear that for certain food products this requires dedicated packaging, allowing the separate storage and distribution of two components of a food product in a single package until the moment of consumption. This led to a continued interest of the food and packaging industry in the design and manufacture of containers that provide for the separate storage of two or more components of a food product, while allowing an easy mixing of these components just prior to the consumption of the food. When these containers are used in an on-the-go context, it is an additional advantage that such containers are conceived to permit the consumption of the food while holding the container with a single hand and with a minimal risk of spilling, even when the consumer performs other activities such as walking, running, travelling, cycling, or driving.

Furthermore, containers meant for on-the-go consumption are preferably disposable. Moreover, the implementation of the industrial production of such containers requires that their manufacture relies as much as possible on procedures and components that are standard in the food, beverage and packaging industries, thus lowering the cost and complexity of production.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,888, U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,244, U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,394, FR2670750, FR2831140 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,858 disclose containers, which are divided in at least two compartments by a divider that can be ruptured or removed in order to mix the respective contents of said compartments. However, the design of the containers disclosed in these patent applications is such that the consumption of the mixed contents requires the use of a spoon or a similar utensil, making these containers not suitable for on-the-go consumption of convenience foods. Moreover, in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,888, FR2670750, FR2831140 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,858, part of the divider that separates the contents of the two compartments has to be pulled out of the container, increasing the risk of spilling, for instance when inappropriate force is exerted when pulling out the divider. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,394 the rupture of the divider is caused by compression of one of the containers, entailing the risk of an unintentional rupture of the divider during transport. Furthermore, the manufacture of these containers requires sealing techniques that are not customary to the food and beverage industry.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,063,229 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,068 describe two-compartment containers, wherein one compartment contains a dry particulate material and the other a liquid. Each compartment of these containers has a closable opening at the top of the container, whereby said openings are adjacent to one another. Through these openings a consumer can simultaneously pour the respective contents of said compartments into his mouth. In consequence, the contents of the compartments are kept separate until they are mixed in the mouth. Disadvantageously, consumption of food and beverage products using such containers requires special attention from the consumer to control the dual supply of the contents of each compartment. WO200053507, U.S. Pat. No. 7,740,134, U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,685 U.S. Pat. No. 7,850,072, and WO2010057452 describe multi-compartment containers whereby the separation between the compartments can be partially ruptured by a rupturing means. Disadvantageously, however, the rupturing means is conceived such that, after its actuation, the very own structure of the rupturing means or components thereof hampers the flow of contents from one compartment to the other. Therefore, containers according to WO200053507, U.S. Pat. No. 7,740,134, U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,685 U.S. Pat. No. 7,850,072, and WO2010057452 are not suitable for mixing and consuming single handed a mixture of the contents of the two compartments, in particular in case one of the two compartments comprises particulate solid material.

EP1710169 describes a two-compartment container, which allows single-handed on-the-go consumption of its contents. This container comprises an upper compartment consisting of a blister with a piercable bottom membrane that can be ruptured by exerting pressure on the top of the blister, causing the content of the blister to mix with the content of the lower compartment. Before the consumer can consume the mixed contents of the blister and the lower compartment, the blister has to be removed after its rupturing, which is not convenient. Moreover, by exerting pressure on the blister, the contents of the blister are at risk to be crushed or otherwise damaged. This problem is also inherent to the containers disclosed in DE29907740, which comprise two compartments that are separated by a piercable membrane, and in which the piercing of this membrane requires the compression of one of the compartments. The containers disclosed in DE29907740 have the further disadvantage that the entire top compartment as well as the pierced membrane have to be removed before the mixed contents of the two compartments can be accessed.

WO2003050033 describes a two-compartment bottle, which allows single-handed on-the-go consumption of its contents. Said bottle comprises an upper compartment contained in a plastic cap and a lower compartment formed by the bottle interior, said compartments being separated by an intercompartment membrane. The upper compartment further comprises three members: a base cap, a rotatable spout and a central stem with a membrane piercing structure at its bottom edge. Upon rotation of the spout, the central stem is longitudinally moved downwards such that it partially pierces the intercompartment membrane. Disadvantageously, the upper compartment comprises three circumferential walls going from top to bottom of the upper compartment, which requires a significant amount of plastic material, in particular when the dimensions of the upper compartment are considerably larger than those of a traditional bottle cap. Moreover, the cap comprising the upper compartment of the container comprises 3 members, which increases the costs of production and assembly of the cap. Moreover, the evacuation of material from the upper compartment is further hampered by said central stem, in particular in case such material comprises particulate solids.

WO200108996 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,921 both describe a cap for a two-compartment bottle, which allows single-handed on-the-go consumption of its contents, of which the compartments are separated from one another by a plastic membrane that is an integral part of the cap structure. Said membrane has a weakening line, along which it can be cut by the movement of a cutting means. In the embodiments of WO200108996 the membrane is positioned perpendicular to the long axis of the container, while in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,921 it has an inclined position with respect to the plane that is perpendicular to the long axis of the container. Disadvantageously, the caps of WO200108996 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,921 comprising the upper compartment of the container have two circumferential walls going from top to bottom of the upper compartment, which requires a significant amount of plastic material, in particular when the dimensions of the upper compartment are considerably larger than those of a traditional bottle cap. The caps according to WO200108996 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,921 are not suitable for piercing a discrete sealing membrane sealed on the bottle compartment below the cap.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,760 discloses a two-compartment container comprising a cap with a piercing means mounted above a blister, which provides a first compartment, whereby said blister is fixed to a piercable membrane above the lower compartment of said container. Disadvantageously, the cap of U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,760 situated above the blister has two circumferential walls going from top to bottom of the upper compartment, which requires a significant amount of plastic material, in particular when the dimensions of the upper compartment are considerably larger than those of a traditional bottle cap.

WO2011030173 discloses a two-compartment container comprising a cap, wherein said cap can comprise a substance to be discharged in the lower compartment of the container. The appearance of said cap remains the same before and after its activation, giving cap designers much more freedom in designing the outer parts of the cap. However, the cap disclosed in WO2011030173 comprises a high number of members. Such high number of members disadvantageously increases the cost of production and assembly of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide in a container suitable for the packaging and storage in separate compartments of at least two products, which need to be combined to prepare a ready-to-use product, such as a ready-to-eat food product. Embodiments are described in more detail which relate to claims 1 to 38 or alternatively to claims 39 to 49 both sets describing embodiments of the present invention. When the preparation of the ready-to-use product is desired, the container of the present invention allows to easily combine the contents of said compartments and to evacuate the combined products from the container through a closable opening without dislodging any one of the compartments from one another. In case the container is used to package and store components of a ready-to-eat food product, it is preferred that the design of the container allows for the practical consumption of the prepared ready-to-eat food directly from the container, preferably without the use of separate utensils such as spoons.

In general the present invention relates to a container, comprising a first compartment for keeping a first content, and a second compartment for keeping a second content, whereby said second compartment is connected to said first compartment, and wherein at least part of the first compartment can be moved relative to the second compartment. Preferably, said moveable part of the first compartment is a portion of the wall of said first compartment. The container further comprises a membrane that is connected in between said compartments to separate those. The container further comprises a piercing means that is connected to the first compartment and has an initial position and is so oriented with respect to said membrane that movement in a first direction of the moveable part of the first compartment, relative to the second compartment, causes a movement in said first direction of the piercing means such that the piercing means can partially pierce the membrane. It is preferred that said piercing means and the membrane are so designed and oriented that after movement in said first direction a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the container. Typically, the container is designed to provide that said movement in said first direction of the first compartment causes the traversal of at least part of the piercing means beyond the plane defined by the membrane in its state before piercing, in order to fold the pierced membrane in said first direction. More preferably, the container is arranged to at least partly prevent folding of the pierced membrane in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, by confining at least part of said pierced membrane between the piercing means and the wall of said second compartment. Preferably, said piercing means is statically connected to said moveable part of the first compartment. Further, it is preferred that said intercompartment membrane, connected in between said compartments, is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container. The container of the present invention, preferably comprises a first blocking means, which after piercing of the membrane prevents the movement in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, of said moveable part of the first compartment relative to the second compartment, as to maintain the piercing means in a position providing said confinement of at least part of said pierced membrane between the piercing means and part of said second compartment, wherein said part is preferably a wall of said second compartment. It is also preferred that said container comprises a second blocking means for preventing a movement in said second direction of said moveable part of the first compartment relative to the second compartment, in order to prevent the dislodging of said moveable part of the first compartment. Said first and second blocking means may be the same means. In a preferred embodiment the container according to the present invention, comprises a piercing means comprising a circumferential piercing means wall with one or more sharp-edged structures at its bottom edge. Preferably, said movement in said first direction of the moveable part of the first compartment causes a movement of the piercing means such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall pierces the intercompartment membrane along a partially circumferential piercing path, whereby a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the container through a non-pierced segment of the membrane.

More particularly the present invention provides a container for keeping contents in separate compartments before use. This container typically comprises an upper compartment for keeping a first content, said upper compartment being connected to a lower compartment for keeping a second content. The said upper compartment and lower compartment are separated from each other by an intercompartment membrane that is connected or adhered to the circumferential enclosure of the container. Further, it is preferred that said intercompartment membrane, connected in between said compartments, is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container. A part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment is moveable and can be moved downwards relative to the lower compartment. The container further comprises a piercing means, which preferably comprises a circumferential piercing means wall with one or more sharp-edged structures at its bottom edge. This piercing means is mounted in the upper compartment above the intercompartment membrane and is operationally, preferably statically, connected to said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment. The downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment can cause a downward movement of the piercing means such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall pierces the intercompartment membrane along a partially circumferential piercing path, whereby a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the circumferential enclosure of the container through a non-pierced segment of the membrane. It is preferred that said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment further can cause the descent of at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall below the plane of the intercompartment membrane, in its state before piercing, in order to fold the pierced membrane downwards, thereby confining at least part of the pierced membrane between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall and the inner side of the circumferential wall of the lower compartment. In a preferred embodiment, the container further comprises one or more upward blocking means for preventing an upward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment relative to the lower compartment. After piercing of the intercompartment membrane such upward blocking means preferably prevents the upward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment relative to the lower compartment, in order to maintain at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing, thus maintaining said confinement of at least a part of the pierced membrane. Further, it is advantageous that any one of such upward blocking means also prevents an upward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment that could result in the dislodging of said moveable part.

Typically, the container according to the present invention comprises one or more closable openings within the enclosure of either or both the upper compartment or lower compartment. After piercing of the intercompartment membrane the contents of the upper compartment and the lower compartment can be mixed within the interior space provided by the combined compartments and can be evacuated through said opened closable opening.

In a preferred embodiment, the circumferential enclosure of a container according to the present invention comprises at least one pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, of which at least one is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and at least one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment. Preferably, engaging guidance means for guiding the downward movement of said moveable part of the wall of the upper compartment are mounted between such pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments. It is preferred that the container according to this embodiment further comprises dynamic sealing structures for minimizing the risk or preventing the leakage from or entering of fluids into the container. These dynamic sealing structures are typically mounted between such pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments.

In any configuration of the container of the present invention wherein the closable opening is situated in the upper compartment, it is advantageous that, after piercing of the membrane, a user wishing to evacuate the combined content of the container through said closable opening, is incited by the design of the container to tilt the container such that the pierced membrane only minimally interferes with the flow of said content. This can be achieved through the design of said container inciting the user, when evacuating the content of the container through said closable opening, to tilt the container, in its assembled pierced state and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment, such that the midpoint of the non-pierced segment of the membrane is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing. The completion of the downward movement occurs when the downward movement of the moveable part of the upper-compartment wall relative to the lower compartment cannot be continued as a result of the construction of the container. It may be advantageous for a practical use of a container according to the present invention that any one of said upward blocking means prevent the upward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment upon occurrence of said completion of the downward movement. Such blocking fixes the position of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment completion of said downward movement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the container, in its assembled non-pierced state, according to a particular embodiment of the invention. The following parts are represented by the following symbols: the intercompartment membrane by a dashed line, the guidance means by a double diamond, the upward blocking means by a circle with keyhole symbol, the dynamic sealing structure by a a pair of slanted triangles, the pearcing means by a downward pointing arrow.

FIG. 2: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 1. The container components that correspond to those of the container in FIG. 1 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 3: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 1. The container components that correspond to those of the container in FIG. 1 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 4: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 1. The container components that correspond to those of the container in FIG. 1 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 5: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 1. The container components that correspond to those of the container in FIG. 1 are referred to with the same number and same symbol. The mounting connection is represented by the symbol of a double half circle.

FIG. 6: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 1. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 7: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 1. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 8: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 1. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 are referred to with the same number.

FIG. 9: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 1. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 10: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 1. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 11: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 1. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 12: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 1. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 13: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the container, in its assembled non-pierced state, according to a particular embodiment of the invention. The following parts are represented by the following symbols: the intercompartment membrane by a dashed line, the guidance means by a double diamond, the upward blocking means by a circle with keyhole symbol, the dynamic sealing structure by a a pair of slanted triangles, the pearcing means by a downward pointing arrow.

FIG. 14: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 13. The container components that correspond to those of the container in FIG. 13 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 15: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 13. The container components that correspond to those of the container in FIG. 13 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 16: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 13. The container components that correspond to those of the container in FIG. 13 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 17: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 13. The container components that correspond to those of the container in FIG. 13 are referred to with the same number and same symbol. The mounting connection is represented by the symbol of a double half circle.

FIG. 18: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 13. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 19: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 13. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 20: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 13. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 21: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 13. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 22: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 13. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 23: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 13. The container components that correspond to those of the containers in FIG. 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 24: Schematic representation of the longitudinal cross-sectional side view al side view of a variant of the container of FIG. 13. The container components that correspond to those of the containers FIG. 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17 are referred to with the same number and same symbol.

FIG. 25: Detailed perspective view of guidance means between overlapping parallel wall segments, the guidance means being based on helical threaded screws as for the container variants of FIG. 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22 or 24 (panel A) or for the container variants of FIG. 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15, 19 or 23 (panel B). Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 26: Detailed perspective view of guidance means between overlapping parallel wall segments, the guidance means being based on straight linear motion bearings (panels A and B), helical motion bearings (panels C and D), or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings (panels E and F), as for the container variants of FIG. 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22 or 24 (panels A, C and E) or for the container variants of FIG. 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15, 19 or 23 (panels B, D and F). Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 27: Detailed perspective views (right panels A and C) and detailed top views (left panels B and D) of a piercing means in case of a container with straight linear motion bearings as guidance means. The views are shown for the assembled non-pierced state of the container (left upper panel A and right upper panel B) or for the assembled pierced state of the container (left lower panel C and right lower panel D). Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 28: Detailed perspective views (right panels A and C) and detailed top views (left panels B and D) of a piercing means in case of a container with helical threaded screws, helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings as guidance means. The views are shown for the assembled non-pierced state of the container (left upper panel A and right upper panel B) or for the assembled pierced state of the container (left lower panel C and right lower panel D). Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 29: Unwrapped cylindrical projection of a piercing means and an intercompartment membrane in case of a container with helical threaded screws or helical motion bearings as guidance means and with piercing means teeth of which the lowest points are situated along a virtual helical path. The top drawing (panel A) represents the situation in the assembled non-pierced state of the container. Panels B, C, D, and E represent consecutive situations at different angles (indicated by the length of the dash-dotted line, showing the projection of the transverse circular vectorial component of the movement of the moveable part of the circumferential upper-compartment wall) of the downward helical movement of the piercing means relative to the lower compartment. Panel E represents the situation in the assembled pierced state of the container. In Panel F, line (w) represents the unwrapped cylindrical projection of the slope of the helical motion bearings of the guidance means, line (x) represents the unwrapped cylindrical projection of the slope of virtual helical path connecting the lowest points of piercing means teeth, line (y) represents the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing, and double arrowed line (z) represents the lead of the helical motion bearings of the guidance means. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 30: Detailed perspective views (right panels A and C) and detailed top views (left panels B and D) of a piercing means and a membrane folding means in case of a container with straight linear motion bearings as guidance means. The views are provided for the assembled non-pierced state of the container (left upper panel A and right upper panel B) or for the assembled pierced state of the container (left lower panel C and right lower panel D). Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 31: Detailed perspective views of a piercing means and a membrane folding means in case of a container with helical threaded screws, helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings as guidance means. The views are provided for the assembled non-pierced state of the container (upper panel A) or for the assembled pierced state of the container (lower panel B). Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 32: Unwrapped cylindrical projection of a piercing means, a membrane folding means, and an intercompartment membrane in case of a container with helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings as guidance means. The top drawing (panel A) represents the situation in the assembled non-pierced state of the container. The drawings below (panels B, C, D, E and F) represent consecutive situations at different angles (indicated on the right hand side) of the helical rotation of the piercing means. The bottom drawing (panel F) represents the situation in the assembled pierced state of the container. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 33: Detailed perspective view of a membrane folding means meant to overlay the intercompartment membrane and to be attached to the circumferential rim of the circumferential enclosure of the container. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 34: Detailed side view of a longitudinal cross section through a membrane folding means, circumferential rims and intercompartment membrane, in a configuration whereby the membrane folding means overlays the intercompartment membrane and is attached to the circumferential rim. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 35: Detailed perspective view of a discrete membrane folding means meant to overlay and to be adhered to the intercompartment membrane. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 36: Detailed side view of a longitudinal cross section through a discrete membrane folding means, circumferential rims and intercompartment membrane, in a configuration whereby the discrete membrane folding means overlays the intercompartment membrane and is adhered to it. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 37: Detailed perspective view of a membrane folding means meant to underlay and to be adhered to the intercompartment membrane. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 38: Detailed side view of a longitudinal cross section through a membrane folding means, circumferential rims and intercompartment membrane, in a configuration whereby the membrane folding means underlays the intercompartment membrane and is adhered to it. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 39: Detailed perspective view of a membrane folding means making integral part of the intercompartment membrane. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 40: Detailed side view of a longitudinal cross section through a membrane folding means, circumferential rims and intercompartment membrane, in a configuration whereby the membrane folding means makes integral part of the intercompartment membrane. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 41: Different configurations of dynamic sealing structures. Detailed side views are shown of longitudinal cross sections through pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall comprising flutings (panels A, B, C, D) or flexible rims (panels E, F, G, H). The dash-dotted arrows indicate the linear longitudinal vectorial component of the movement of the moveable part of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 42: Different configurations of upward blocking means in the form of engaging transverse barb structures. Detailed side views are shown of longitudinal cross sections through pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments of the circumferential enclosure, such pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments comprising transverse barb structures. The dash-dotted arrows indicate the linear longitudinal vectorial component of the movement of the moveable part of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 43: Different configurations of upward blocking means in the form of a ratchet means. Panels A and C show detailed top views of transverse cross sections through a ratchet means provided between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments of the circumferential enclosure. The dash-dotted arrows indicate the transverse circular vectorial component of the movement of the moveable part of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Panels B and D show detailed perspective views of overlapping parallel wall segments with the ratchet means structures in the non-assembled state of the container. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 44: Different configurations of upward blocking means in the form of a directional screw means. Panels A and C show detailed top views of transverse cross sections through directional screw means provided between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments of the circumferential enclosure. The dash-dotted arrows indicate the transverse circular vectorial component of the movement of the moveable part of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Panels B and D show detailed perspective views of overlapping parallel wall segments with the with the directional screw means structures in the non-assembled state of the container. Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 45: Detailed perspective views (right panels A and C) and detailed top views (left panels B and D) of a container with straight linear motion bearings as guidance means, whereby the centroid (j) of the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment has an eccentric position with respect to the centroid (h) of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall. Views are shown for the assembled non-pierced state of the container (left upper panel A and right upper panel B) and for the assembled pierced state of the container (left lower panel C and right lower panel D). Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 46: Detailed perspective views (right panels A and C) and detailed top views (left panels B and D) of a container with helical threaded screws, helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings as guidance means, whereby the centroid (j) of the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment has an eccentric position with respect to the centroid (h) of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall. Views are shown for the assembled non-pierced state of the container (left upper panel A and right upper panel B) and for the assembled pierced state of the container (left lower panel C and right lower panel D). Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 47: Detailed perspective views (right panels A and C) and detailed top views (left panels B and D) of a container with helical threaded screws, helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings as guidance means, whereby the centroid (j) of the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment has an eccentric position with respect to the centroid (h) of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall by means of a partial cover (61) of the top side of the neck region of the upper compartment. Views are shown for the assembled non-pierced state of the container (left upper panel A and right upper panel B) and for the assembled pierced state of the container (left lower panel C and right lower panel D). Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 48: Detailed perspective views (right panels A and C) and detailed top views (left panels B and D) of a container with helical threaded screws, helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings as guidance means, and with a removable sealing membrane (63) with pull tab (169) as closure means for the closable opening (60). Views are shown for the assembled non-pierced state of the container (left upper panel A and right upper panel B) and for the assembled pierced state of the container (left lower panel C and right lower panel D). Parts of the container that are not relevant for the illustrative purpose of this figure are omitted for sake of clarity and compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 49: Perspective view (panel A) and longitudinal cross-sectional side view (panel B) of the upper member of the container shown in FIG. 50. Perspective view (panel C) and longitudinal cross-sectional side view (panel D) of the lower member of the container shown in FIG. 50.

FIG. 50: Panel A: Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a container according to the configuration of FIG. 2, with a piercing means according to the configuration shown in FIG. 28, with a threaded screw type guidance means according to the configuration shown in FIG. 25 A, and with an upward blocking means according to the configuration shown in FIGS. 43 C and D. The double waved line marks interruption of the representation of the walls for the sake of compactness of the drawing. Panel B: schematic top view of the transverse cross-section of the container through plane a-a going through the overlapping parallel wall segments of the circumferential enclosure, as indicated in Panel A. Panel C: side view of the container.

FIG. 51: Panel A: Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a container according to the configuration of FIG. 3, with a piercing means according to the configuration shown in FIG. 28, and with an upward blocking means and threaded screw type guidance means guidance means according to the configuration shown in FIGS. 44 C and D. Panel B: Schematic top view of a transverse cross-section through plane a-a of the container, as indicated in Panel A. Panel C: Schematic perspective view of the upper member of the container in its non-assembled state. Panel D: Schematic perspective view of the lower member of the container in its non-assembled state. The double waved line marks interruption of the representation of the walls for the sake of compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 52: Panel A: Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a container according to the configuration of FIG. 4, with a piercing means according to the configuration shown in FIG. 27, with longitudinal straight linear motion bearings as guidance means, and with an upward blocking means according to the configuration shown in FIG. 42 F. Panel B: Schematic top view of the container, with the downward blocking means comprising tear tabs (182) in open position, thus allowing downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Panel C: Schematic top view of a transverse cross-section through plane a-a of the container, as indicated in Panel A. Panel D: Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the upper member of the container in its non-assembled state. Panel E: Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the lower member of the container in its non-assembled state. The double waved line marks interruption of the representation of the walls for the sake of compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 53: Panel A: Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a container according to the configuration of FIG. 6, with a piercing means according to the configuration shown in FIG. 31, with a membrane folding means lying over the intercompartment membrane according to the configuration shown in FIGS. 33 and 34, with a threaded screw type guidance means according to the configuration shown in FIG. 25 A, and with an upward blocking means according to the configuration shown in FIGS. 43 C and D. Panel B: Schematic top view of the transverse cross-section through plane a-a going through the overlapping parallel wall segments of the circumferential enclosure of the container, as indicated in Panel A. Panel C: Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the upper member of the container in its non-assembled state. Panel D: Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the middle member of the container in its non-assembled state. Panel E: Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the lower member of the container in its non-assembled state. The double waved line marks interruption of the representation of the walls for the sake of compactness of the drawing.

FIG. 54: Panel A: Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a container according to the configuration of FIG. 14, with a piercing means according to the configuration shown in FIG. 28, and with an upward blocking means and threaded screw type guidance means according to the configuration shown in FIGS. 44 C and D. Panel B: Schematic top view of a transverse cross-section through plane a-a of the container, as indicated in Panel A. Panel C: Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the upper member of the container in its non-assembled state. Panel D: Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the lower member of the container in its non-assembled state. The double waved line marks interruption of the representation of the walls for the sake of compactness of the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the appended drawings.

In general the present invention provides a container, comprising a first compartment (2) for keeping a first content, and a second compartment (3) for keeping a second content, whereby said second compartment (3) is connected to said first compartment (2), and wherein at least a part (5) of the first compartment (2) can be moved relative to the second compartment (3). Preferably, said moveable part (5) of the first compartment is a portion of the wall of the first compartment (2). More preferably, at least part of the most external wall of said first compartment is provided by said moveable part (5). The container further comprises a membrane ((8) and/or (9)) that is connected in between said compartments ((2), (3)) to separate those. The container further comprises a piercing means (10) that is connected to the first compartment (2) and has an initial position and is so oriented with respect to said membrane ((8) and/or (9)) that movement in a first direction of the moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2), relative to the second compartment (3), causes a movement in said first direction of the piercing means (10) such that the piercing means can partially pierce the membrane ((8) and/or (9)). It is preferred that said piercing means (10) and the membrane ((8) and/or (9)) are so designed and oriented that after movement in said first direction a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane ((8) and/or (9)) and the container. Typically, the container is designed to provide that said movement in said first direction of the first compartment (2) causes the traversal of at least part of the piercing means beyond the plane defined by the membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, in order to fold the pierced membrane in said first direction. More preferably, the container is arranged to at least partly prevent folding of the pierced membrane in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, by confining at least part of said pierced membrane between the piercing means and the wall of said second compartment. Preferably, said piercing means is statically connected to said moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2). Further, it is preferred that said intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)), connected in between said compartments ((2), (3)), is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container. The container of the present invention, preferably comprises a first blocking means (14), which after piercing of the membrane ((8) and/or (9)) prevents the movement in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, of said moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2) relative to the second compartment (3), as to maintain the piercing means in a position providing said confinement of at least part of said pierced membrane between the piercing means and a part of said second compartment, wherein said part is preferably a wall of said second compartment. It is also preferred that said container comprises a second blocking means (14) for preventing a movement in said second direction of said moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2) relative to the second compartment (3), in order to prevent the dislodging of said moveable part (5) of the first compartment. Said first and second blocking means (14) may be the same means.

In a preferred embodiment the circumferential enclosure (4) of said container comprises two or more overlapping parallel wall segments (12, 13) of which at least one (12) is part of or is statically connected to the second compartment (3) and at least one (13) other is part of or is statically connected to said moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2). Typically, said overlapping parallel wall segment (12), that is part of or is statically connected to the second compartment (3), is statically connected to the circumferential wall (6) of the second compartment (3). In order to guide said movement of said moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2) in a first direction relative to the second compartment (3) it is further preferred that the container comprises guidance means (18) connected between a portion of said moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2) and a portion statically connected to the second compartment (3). More preferably, said guidance means (18) are mounted between an adjoining pair of said overlapping parallel wall segments ((12),(13)), whereby one (12) of said pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the second compartment (3) and one other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential wall of the first compartment (2). To mount said membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in the container according to the present invention in a further preferred embodiment the container comprises a circumferential rim ((11) and/or (32) and/or (36)) along the circumferential enclosure (4) of the container to which said membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is connected or adhered.

The container may further comprise a closable opening (60) through which, after piercing of the membrane, the combined contents of said compartments ((2), (3)) can be evacuated. Preferably, the container is designed to incite the user to tilt the container, after piercing of the membrane, in a position wherein the relative positions of the opened closeable opening (60) and the connection of the pierced membrane with the container provide for a reduced interference of the pierced membrane when evacuating the combined content from the container.

In an embodiment the container according to the present invention as described above, comprises a piercing means (10) comprising a circumferential piercing means wall (100) with one or more sharp-edged structures (102) at its bottom edge. Preferably, said movement in said first direction of the moveable part (5) of the first compartment (2) causes a movement of the piercing means (10) such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) pierces the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) along a partially circumferential piercing path (105), whereby a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the container through a non-pierced segment (106) of the membrane. Within said embodiment the incitement of the user to tilt the container, after piercing of the membrane, in a position wherein the relative positions of the opened closeable opening (60) and the connection of the pierced membrane with the container provide for a minimal interference of the pierced membrane when evacuating the combined content from the container, can be achieved by positioning the closable opening (60) in the first compartment (2) such that the centroid of said closable opening (60) is eccentric in the transverse dimension with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall (100).

More particularly and with reference to FIGS. 1 to 24, the present invention provides a container comprising an upper compartment (2) and a lower compartment (3) wherein said compartments are separated from one another by at least one intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) that is impervious for the contents of either compartment and that is preferably mounted substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container. Said intercompartment membrane is adhered or connected to the circumferential enclosure (4) of the container, preferably to a circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) along the circumferential enclosure (4) of the container. The circumferential enclosure (4) of the container according to the present invention preferably comprises at least one pair of overlapping parallel wall segments that are adjoining, whereby said wall segments are substantially parallel in the longitudinal dimension. In the assembled state of the container, at least one (12) of said overlapping parallel wall segments is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). Furthermore, at least one other (13) of said overlapping parallel wall segments is, in the assembled state of the container, part of or statically connected to a part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment that is moveable in the longitudinal dimension relative to the lower compartment (3), said part of the circumferential wall being referred to as the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Preferably, this moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall provides at least a portion of the most external circumferential wall of the upper compartment. Thereto, preferably at least one pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) of the circumferential enclosure (4) of the container comprises engaging guidance means (18) for guiding said downward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. During said downward movement, the overlap between the adjoining parallel overlapping wall segments increases in the longitudinal dimension. The term “overlapping parallel wall segments” hence refers to the entire segments of the circumferential enclosure, which overlap either before, during, or upon completion of said downward movement.

The container further comprises a piercing means (10) for piercing the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)). The piercing means typically comprises a circumferential piercing means wall (100), which at its bottom edge preferably comprises one or more sharp-edged structures (102) facilitating the piercing of the intercompartment membrane. Preferably, the top and bottom sides of said piercing means (10) are open, such that the piercing means (10) does not interfere or interferes only minimally with the flow of contents of the container during evacuation of said contents from the container. It is further preferred that the piercing means (10) is mounted in the container substantially concentrically, in the transverse dimension, with respect to the segment of the circumferential enclosure (4) to which the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is adhered or connected and/or with respect to the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) to which the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is adhered or connected. The piercing means (10) is operationally, preferably statically, connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. In this way, the downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall relative to the lower compartment (3) can cause the downward movement of the piercing means such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) pierces the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) along a partially circumferential piercing path (105), whereby a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) through a non-pierced segment (106) of the membrane, said non-pierced membrane segment (106) being defined by the endpoints of said partially circumferential piercing path (105). Said partially circumferential piercing path (105) is typically located within the zone of the intercompartment membrane enclosed by the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) to which the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is connected or adhered. Preferably, the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall comprises a smooth-edged segment (103), having a smooth and preferably blunt bottom edge, in order to provide for said non-pierced membrane segment (106). The maintenance of a connection between said circumferential rim and the intercompartment membrane along the non-pierced membrane segment (106) advantageously prevents the free movement of the pierced membrane within the container in its assembled pierced state.

After the piercing of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) by the piercing means (10), the internal angle defined by the two rays connecting the centroid of the intercompartment membrane to the two endpoints of the non-pierced membrane segment (106), referred to as the angle covered by the non-pierced membrane segment or angle α, is preferably at least 4°, such as at least 10°, 15° or 20°, relative to the total 360° circumference of the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)). Said angle α preferably does not exceed 120°, more preferably this angle α is less than 100°, such as less than 90°, 80° or 70°. Conversely, after the piercing of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) by the piercing means (10), the external angle defined by the two rays connecting the centroid of the intercompartment membrane to the two endpoints of the non-pierced membrane segment (106), referred to as the angle covered by the partially circumferential piercing path (105) or angle α′, is preferably at least 240°, such as at least 260°, 270°, 280° or 290° relative to the total 360° circumference of the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)). Said angle α′ preferably does not exceed 356°, more preferably this angle α′ is less than 350°, such as less than 345° or 340°. It is further preferred that the piercing of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is associated with a downward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Said downward movement preferably can cause the descent of at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) below the plane of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)), in its state before piercing, in order to fold the pierced membrane downwards, thereby confining at least part of the pierced membrane between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6).

Throughout the description, the container according to any of the embodiments of the present invention can be said to be either in the non-assembled state or in the assembled state, and in the latter state it can be either said to be in the assembled non-pierced state or in the assembled pierced state. In its non-assembled state the different members of the container are manufactured, but not yet fully mounted to form one unit. In its assembled non-pierced state, the different members of the container are operationally mounted, and the intercompartment membrane(s) between the two compartments are intact and provide separation of the contents of the two compartments. The assembled pierced state of the container is obtained from the assembled non-pierced state of the container after downward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall whereby the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is pierced along the partially circumferential piercing path (105) such that the angle α′ covered by the partially circumferential piercing path (105) is preferably at least 240°, such as at least 260°, 270°, 280° or 290° relative to the total 360° circumference of the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)). Said angle α′ preferably does not exceed 356°, more preferably this angle is less than 350°, such as less than 345° or less than 340°. Preferably, in the assembled pierced state of the container, the pierced intercompartment membrane is inclined downwards from the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is attached, in order to facilitate the mixing of the contents of the upper compartment (2) and lower compartment (3). In both the assembled pierced state and assembled non-pierced state, any tamper evident or downward blocking means, such as a tear strip, can be either intact or removed and the closable openings allowing evacuation of the contents of the compartments can be either in the open or closed state. Unless otherwise stated, the explanations in the context of the present invention refer to the container in the assembled non-pierced state.

In order to prevent an undesirable dislodging of the upper compartment (2) from the lower compartment (3) or part thereof and the subsequent spilling of the content of either one or both of the compartments, it is preferred that any of the embodiments of the container of the present invention comprises an upward blocking means (14), which prevents the upward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall beyond the level at which a dislodging of the upper compartment (2) from the lower compartment (3) occurs. Preferably, such upward blocking means (14) is mounted in between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)), whereby one (12) of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) and one other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. It is also preferred that, after piercing of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)), an upward blocking means (14) prevents the upward movement of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall relative to the lower compartment (3), in order to maintain at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) below the plane of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing. In this way, the confinement of the pierced membrane between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) is maintained in the assembled pierced state of the container. More preferably, the upward blocking means substantially prevents the upward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall upon regular intervals during the downward movement of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall towards the lower compartment (3), as well as upon completion of said downward movement.

It is also preferred that the container comprises one or more dynamic sealing structures (19) between at least one pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) in order to seal off the inside of the upper compartment (2) from the outside of the container, whereby one (12) of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) and one other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Preferably, said dynamic sealing structures (19) provide a liquid tight seal, more preferably they provide a liquid tight and gas tight seal. It is further preferred that the dynamic sealing structures (19) exert said sealing function in either or both the assembled non-pierced state and the assembled pierced state of the container. It is even more preferred that the dynamic sealing structures (19) exert said sealing function during the downward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, as well as upon completion of said downward movement.

With reference to FIG. 1, in a particular embodiment of the container of the present invention, the overlap between said overlapping wall segments ((12) and (13)) within the circumferential enclosure (4) as well as the guidance means (18) between said overlapping wall segments ((12) and (13)) are located above the intercompartment membrane (8). In the assembled state of the container, at least one of said overlapping parallel wall segments (12) is part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment that is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6), said part of the circumferential wall being referred to as the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Furthermore, at least one of said overlapping parallel wall segments (13) is, in the assembled state of the container, part of or statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, which can be moved in the longitudinal dimension relative to the lower compartment (3).

Several variants of the container according to the embodiment represented in FIG. 1 can be envisaged, of which some are presented in FIGS. 2 to 12. Any component of the container variants shown in FIGS. 2 to 12 corresponding to a component of the container shown in FIG. 1 is hereunder referred to by the same number.

The container variants of FIGS. 1, 5 and 9 comprise one overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.

The container variants of FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12 comprise two overlapping parallel wall segments (13), an internal and an external one, that are part of or are statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.

The container variants of FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, and 10 comprise one overlapping parallel wall segment (12) that is part of or statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). In the container variants of FIGS. 1, 5, and 9, said parallel wall segment (12) overlaps at least partially with the overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. In the container variants of FIGS. 2, 6, and 10, said parallel wall segment (12) overlaps at least partially with the external and internal overlapping parallel wall segments (13) that are part of or are statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.

The container variants of FIGS. 3, 7 and 11 comprise two overlapping parallel wall segments (12), an internal and an external one, that are part of or are statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). Said internal and external overlapping parallel wall segments (12) overlap at least partially with the external and internal overlapping parallel wall segments (13) that are part of or are statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Furthermore, the overlapping parallel wall segments (12) that are part of or are statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) are both internal with respect to the external overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.

The container variants of FIGS. 4, 8 and 12 comprise two overlapping parallel wall segments (12), an internal and an external one, that are part of or are statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). Said internal and external overlapping parallel wall segments (12) overlap at least partially with the external and internal overlapping parallel wall segments (13) that are part of or are statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Furthermore, the external overlapping parallel wall segment (12) that is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) is external with respect to the external overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.

In any of the container variants of FIGS. 1 to 12, guidance means (18), downward blocking means (14) and optionally dynamic sealing structures (19) are comprised between at least one of the overlapping parallel wall segments (12) that is part of or statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6), and an adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments (13) that is part of or statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. The skilled person will understand, that in case there are two or more pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)), as in the container variants of FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12, the positions of the guidance means (18), downward blocking means (14) and dynamic sealing structures (19) in between said pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments can be interchanged while maintaining their respective function. The container variants of FIGS. 1, 5 and 9 require relatively less material to produce than the container variants of FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12. In the containers variants of FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12, the optional dynamic sealing structure (19) and the guidance means (18) can be separated over different pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)). Preferably, for sealing off more efficiently the contents of the upper compartment from the outside of the container, in container variants of FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12, the dynamic sealing structure (19) and the guidance means (18) are positioned between different pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, whereby for each pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments one of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments (12) is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) and the other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.

The container variants of FIGS. 1 to 4 have an intercompartment membrane (8) that is adhered or connected to a circumferential rim (11) on the inner side of the container located at the junction of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) and the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. During assembly and filling of the container variants of FIGS. 1 to 4 a sequence of events can be, in a non-limitative example: the lower compartment (3) is filled with the appropriate content; the intercompartment membrane (8) is adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (11) of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6); the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall is mounted on the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall using the guidance means (18); the upper compartment (2) is filled with the appropriate content and the closable opening (60) at the top of the upper compartment is closed with an appropriate closure means.

In container variants of FIGS. 5 to 8, the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall comprises a circumferential rim (32) along its inner side, and a circumferential skirt (30) depending from said circumferential rim (32). The intercompartment membrane (8) in the container variants of FIGS. 5 to 8 is adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (11) at the top of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6), or alternatively is adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (32) along the inner side of the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. The circumferential skirt (30) connected to the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall of container variants of FIGS. 5 to 8 is statically connected, preferably by a leak-tight mounting connection (31), to the upper segment of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). Examples of said mounting connection (31) can for instance include, but are not limited to, an engaging threaded screw connection or an engaging snap-on connection, and said mounting connection (31) preferably encompasses interacting barbs that prevent the user from dislodging the mounting connection (31) of the container in its assembled state. During assembly and filling of the container variants of FIGS. 5 to 8, a sequence of events can be, in a non-limitative example: the lower compartment (3) is filled with the appropriate content; the intercompartment membrane (8) is adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (11) of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6); the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall is mounted on the lower compartment (3) using the mounting connection (31); the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall is engaged via the guidance means (18) with the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall; the upper compartment (2) is filled with the appropriate content; the closable opening (60) at the top of the upper compartment is closed with an appropriate closure means. During assembly and filling of the container variants of FIGS. 5 to 8, a sequence of events can be, in another non limitative example: the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall is engaged through the guidance means (18) with the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall; the intercompartment membrane (8) is adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (32) of the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall; the upper compartment (2) is filled with the appropriate content; the closable opening (60) at the top of the upper compartment is closed with an appropriate closure means; the lower compartment (3) is filled with the appropriate content; the upper compartment is mounted on the lower compartment via the mounting connection (31), thus providing closure of the lower compartment.

Container variants of FIGS. 9 to 12 have the same configuration as the container variants of FIGS. 5 to 8 except that they have two intercompartment membranes: a lower intercompartment membrane (8) can be adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (11) of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) and an upper intercompartment membrane (9) can be adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (32) of the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. During assembly and filling of the container variants of FIGS. 9 to 12, a sequence of events can be, in a non-limitative example: the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall is engaged via the guidance means (18) with the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall; the intercompartment membrane (9) is adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (32) of the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall; the upper compartment (2) is filled with the appropriate content; the closable opening (60) at the top of the upper compartment is closed with an appropriate closure means; the lower compartment (3) is filled with the appropriate content; the lower compartment (3) is closed by adhering or connecting the intercompartment membrane (8) to the circumferential rim (11) of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6); the upper compartment is mounted on the lower compartment via the mounting connection (31). With container variants of FIGS. 9 to 12, the upper compartment (2) and lower compartment (3) can each be independently filled and sealed with intercompartment membranes, and subsequently mounted via the mounting connection (31). Thanks to the two intercompartment membranes separating the contents of the two containers, the contents of each of the two compartments of container variants of FIGS. 9 to 12, can be more efficiently sealed than in case of the container variants of FIGS. 1 to 8 with single intercompartment membranes separating the contents of the two containers.

With reference to FIG. 13, in a particular embodiment of the container of the present invention, the overlap between said overlapping wall segments ((12) and (13)) within the circumferential enclosure (4) as well as the guidance means (18) between said overlapping wall segments ((12) and (13)) are located below the intercompartment membrane (8). One of said overlapping parallel wall segments (12) is, in the assembled state of the container, part of or statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). Furthermore, one of said overlapping parallel wall segments (13) is, in the assembled state of the container, part of a circumferential skirt (20) depending from the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, which can be moved downward relative to the lower compartment (3). Optionally, the circumferential rim (11) to which the intercompartment membrane (8) is adhered or connected has a shape that allows mating with a mated shape (28) on a transverse rim along the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container, the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall can connect to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) in a liquid tight way.

Several variants of the container according to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 13 can be envisaged, of which some are depicted in FIGS. 13 to 24. Any component of the container variants shown in FIGS. 13 to 24 corresponding to a component of the container shown in FIG. 13 is hereunder referred to by the same number.

The container variants of FIGS. 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, and 23 comprise one overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.

The container variants of FIGS. 16, 20, and 24, comprise two overlapping parallel wall segments (13), an internal and an external one, that are statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.

The container variants of FIGS. 13, 14, 17, 18, 21 and 22 comprise one overlapping parallel wall segment (12) that is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). Said overlapping parallel wall segment (12) overlaps at least partially with the overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. In the container variants of FIGS. 13, 17 and 21, said overlapping parallel wall segment (12) is located on the upper segment of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). In the container variants of FIGS. 14, 18 and 22, said overlapping parallel wall segment (12) is located on an external wall (52) depending from the circumferential rim (11), providing, at least at the level of the overlapping parallel wall segment (12), for a double walled structure in the upper segment of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6).

The container variants of FIGS. 15, 16, 19, 20, 23 and 24 comprise two overlapping parallel wall segments (12), an internal and an external one, that are part of or are statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). In the container variants of FIGS. 15, 19, and 23, the external and the internal overlapping parallel wall segments (12) overlap at least partially with the overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. In the container variants of FIGS. 16, 20, and 24, the external and the internal overlapping parallel wall segments (12) overlap at least partially with the internal and the external overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, whereby said external overlapping parallel wall segment (12) is internal with respect to said external overlapping parallel wall segment (13).

In any of the container variants of FIGS. 13 to 24, guidance means (18), downward blocking means (14) and optionally dynamic sealing structures (19) are comprised between at least one of the overlapping parallel wall segments (12) that is part of or statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) and an adjoining overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is part of or statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. The skilled person will understand that, in case there are two or more pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)), as in the container variants of FIGS. 15, 16, 19, 20, 23, and 24, the positions of the guidance means (18), downward blocking means (14) and dynamic sealing structures (19) in between said pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments can be interchanged while maintaining their respective function. The container variants of FIGS. 13, 17 and 21 require relatively less material to produce than the container variants of FIGS. 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, and 24. In the containers variants of FIGS. 15, 16, 19, 20, 23, and 24, the optional dynamic sealing structure (19) and the guidance means (18) can be separated over different pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments. Preferably, for sealing off more efficiently the contents of the upper compartment from the outside of the container, in container variants of FIGS. 15, 16, 19, 20, 23, and 24, the dynamic sealing structure (19) and the guidance means (18) are positioned between different pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, whereby for each pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments one of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments (12) is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) and the other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. The member providing the circumferential and bottom enclosure of the lower compartment of FIGS. 14, 18 and 22 is more suited to be produced by injection moulding than that of the container variants of FIGS. 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, and 24.

The container variants of FIGS. 13 to 16 have an intercompartment membrane (8) that is adhered or connected to a circumferential rim (11) at the top of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). During assembly and filling of the container variants of FIGS. 13 to 16, a sequence of events can be, in a non-limitative example: the lower compartment (3) is filled with the appropriate content; the intercompartment membrane (8) is adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (11) of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6); the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall is mounted on the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) using the engaging guidance means (18); the upper compartment (2) is filled with the appropriate content; the closable opening (60) at the top of the upper compartment is closed with an appropriate closure means.

Container variants of FIGS. 17 to 20 comprise within the circumferential enclosure (4) a circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35) that encompasses an overlapping parallel wall segment (12) and that is statically connected via a leak-proof mounting connection (37) with the upper segment of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). Examples of said leak-proof mounting connection (37) include, but are not limited to, an engaging threaded screw connection or an engaging snap-on connection, and said mounting connection (37) preferably encompasses interacting barbs that prevent the user from dislodging the mounting connection (37) once the container is assembled. The overlapping parallel wall segment (12) of the circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35) is parallel to and overlaps with the overlapping parallel wall segments (13) that are part of or are statically connected to the circumferential skirt (20) depending from the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Said circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35) comprises a circumferential rim (36) at its top. The intercompartment membrane in container variants of FIGS. 17 to 20 is adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (11) at the top of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6), or alternatively is adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (36) of the circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35). During assembly and filling of the container variants of FIGS. 17 to 20, a sequence of events can be, in a non-limitative example: the lower compartment (3) is filled with the appropriate content; the intercompartment membrane (8) is adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (11) of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6); the circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35) is mounted on the lower compartment (3); the circumferential skirt (20) is engaged via the guidance means (18) with the circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35); the upper compartment (2) is filled with the appropriate content; the closable opening (60) at the top of the upper compartment is closed with an appropriate closure means. During assembly and filling of the container variants of FIGS. 17 to 20, a sequence of events can be, in another non limitative example: the circumferential skirt (20) is mounted on the circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35) using the engaging guidance means (18); the intercompartment membrane (8) is adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (36) of the circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35); the upper compartment (2) is filled with the appropriate content; the closable opening (60) at the top of the upper compartment is closed with an appropriate closure means; the lower compartment (3) is filled with the appropriate content; the upper compartment is mounted on the lower compartment via the mounting connection (37), thus providing closure of the lower compartment.

Container variants of FIGS. 21 to 24 have the same configuration as for the container variants of FIGS. 17 to 20, except that they have two intercompartment membranes: a lower intercompartment membrane (8) can be adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (11) of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) and an upper intercompartment membrane (9) can be adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (36) of the circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35). During assembly and filling of the container variants of FIGS. 21 to 24, a sequence of events can be, in a non-limitative example: the circumferential skirt (20) is mounted on on the circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35) using the engaging guidance means (18); the intercompartment membrane (9) is adhered or connected to the circumferential rim (36) of said circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35); the upper compartment (2) is filled with the appropriate content; the closable opening (60) at the top of the upper compartment is closed with an appropriate closure means; the lower compartment (3) is filled with the appropriate content; the lower compartment (3) is closed by adhering or connecting the intercompartment membrane (8) to the circumferential rim (11) of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6); the upper compartment (2) is mounted on the lower compartment (3) via the mounting connection (37). With container variants of FIGS. 21 to 24, the upper compartment and lower compartment can each be independently filled and sealed with intercompartment membranes, and subsequently mounted via the mounting connection (37). Thanks to the two membranes separating the contents of the two containers, the contents of each of the two compartments of container variants of FIGS. 21 to 24, can be more efficiently sealed than for container variants of FIGS. 13 to 20 having single membranes that separate the contents of the two containers.

The members of the container, in particular those that provide the enclosure of the container according to any of the embodiments of the present invention, can be made from any of various types of plastic materials. Most preferred are thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers including, but not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polylactate, or polyhydroxyalkanoate. The members can be made in such plastic materials by different techniques, including but not limited to, extrusion blow moulding, injection blow moulding, stretch blow moulding or injection moulding. Preferably, said members in such plastic material are made by injection moulding, since it provides highest accuracy of the member structures and allows making more complex structures. Preferably, in order to minimize the use of plastic material and to minimize complexity and costs during assembly, said container consists of not more than two members made in plastic material, which can be mounted on each other to provide the circumferential, bottom and top enclosure of the container, and, besides such two members, one or more closure means for closing the closable opening (60) and one or more intercompartment membranes ((8) and/or (9)). Preferably, in order to minimize the use of plastic material, said container has, over at least a substantial longitudinal distance, only one circumferential wall in the transverse cross sections through the circumferential enclosure of the upper compartment. Preferably, in order to minimize the use of plastic material, said container has, over at least a substantial longitudinal distance, only one circumferential wall in the transverse cross sections through the circumferential enclosure of the lower compartment.

The intercompartment membranes of the container generally have a thickness between 0.01 and 1.0 mm, more typically between 0.05 and 0.1 mm, and can be made for instance, but not limited to, from a film-forming polymer, a plastic polymer, a metal such as aluminium, or combinations thereof, such as a plastic coated aluminium sealing membrane or a lacquer coated aluminium sealing membrane. The membranes can be sealed to the circumferential rim of the circumferential walls by different methods including, but not limited to, via the use of adhesives or via heat conduction welding, induction welding, ultrasonic welding, or laser welding.

In the container variant configurations of FIGS. 5 to 12, wherein an intercompartment membrane (9) is connected to the circumferential rim (32) of the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, said intercompartment membrane can optionally be provided, using for instance injection moulding, as an integral part of a monolithically manufactured member comprising the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall and the circumferential skirt (30). In this case the intercompartment membrane (9) preferably has a weakening zone along the longitudinal projection of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) on said intercompartment membrane, while the remainder of the intercompartment membrane is sufficiently flexible as to allow that, after the piercing of the intercompartment membrane, said membrane can be folded by the piercing means towards the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). In the container variant configurations of FIGS. 17 to 24, wherein the intercompartment membrane (9) is connected to circumferential rim (36) of the circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35), said intercompartment membrane can optionally be provided, using for instance injection moulding, as an integral part of a monolithically manufactured member comprising the circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35). In this case the intercompartment membrane will have a weakening zone along the longitudinal projection of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) on said intercompartment membrane, while the remainder of the intercompartment membrane is sufficiently flexible so as to allow that, after the piercing of the intercompartment membrane, said membrane can be folded by the piercing means towards the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6).

The guidance means (18) present between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) of the circumferential enclosure (4) of the container according to any of the embodiments of the present invention, guide the movement of the overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) with respect to each other, whereby one (12) of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) and one other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Said movement has at least a longitudinal straight linear vectorial component, optionally said movement only has a longitudinal straight linear vectorial component. Alternatively, said movement guided by the guidance means has a combination of a longitudinal straight linear vectorial component with a transverse circular vectorial component, such as for instance in a helical movement. An example of a suitable guidance means for guiding helical movement is a threaded screw guidance means. Said threaded screw guidance means comprises one or more external helical threads (170) on the outer side of the inner one of the pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, whereby said external helical threads can engage with mating internal helical threads (171) on the inner side of the outer one of the pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments (FIG. 25). Another example of a suitable guidance means is a set of at least two, preferably at least three, motion bearings, such motion bearings having each the same trajectory shape and being located at substantially equal distance from each other along the circumference of the overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)). Said motion bearings comprise, for instance, a groove or slide on one of the pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, such groove or slide (128) engaging with a pin, bar or tooth (120) mounted on the other one of the pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments (FIG. 26). The trajectory of the grooves or slides of said motion bearings can be a straight path in the longitudinal dimension, such as can be accomplished with straight longitudinal grooves, longitudinal dovetail slides, longitudinal T-slides, adjoining longitudinal ridges, or other forms of linear motion bearings (FIGS. 26A, 26B). The trajectory of the grooves or slides of said motion bearings can be a helical path, such as can be accomplished with helical slides or other forms of helical motion bearings (FIGS. 26C, 26D). The trajectory of the slides can also be any non-helical path with a longitudinal linear vectorial component and a transverse circular vectorial component, such as can be accomplished with non-helical linear/circular motion bearings (FIGS. 26E, 26F).

The container according to the present invention also comprises a piercing means (10) for piercing the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)). The piercing means (10) is mounted in the upper compartment (2) above the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) and is operationally, preferably statically, connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. With reference to FIG. 27 and FIG. 28, this piercing means is a circumferential structure, comprising a circumferential piercing means wall (100), which at its bottom edge preferably comprises one or more sharp-edged structures facilitating the piercing of the intercompartment membrane. Preferably, the top and bottom sides of said piercing means (10) are open, such that the piercing means (10) interferes only minimally or does not interfere with the flow of contents of the container. The lower part of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) has a transverse cross section that is smaller than that of the circumferential rim ((11), (32), or (36)) to which the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is adhered or connected, and has preferably the same shape in the transverse dimension. Preferably, the circumferential piercing means wall (100) is mounted substantially concentrically with respect to the circumferential rim to which the intercompartment membrane is adhered or connected, and preferably the circumferential piercing means wall (100) is substantially parallel in the longitudinal dimension relative to the overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)). The circumferential piercing means wall (100) is operationally, preferably statically, connected to an overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is part of or statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall or to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall itself. At least a segment of the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) has a sharp edge, or has one or more sharp-edged structures (102), such as piercing means teeth (102) with sharp edges, such sharp-edged structures, if present, depending from the circumferential piercing means wall (100). The circumferential piercing means wall (100), with or without the piercing means teeth (102), is designed and mounted in the container such that upon movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall relative to the lower compartment (3), the piercing means can provide for the piercing of the intercompartment membrane along a partially circumferential piercing path (105) located within the zone of the intercompartment membrane enclosed by the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) to which the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is connected or adhered. Preferably, the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall comprises a smooth-edged segment (103), of which the bottom edge is smooth and lacks sharp-edged structures and is preferably blunt, in order to provide for said non-pierced membrane segment (106) defined by the endpoints of said partially circumferential piercing path (105). Preferably, an uninterrupted section encompassing more than 50%, such as more than 75%, of the bottom edge of the smooth-edged segment (103) lies within a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing. More preferably, the bottom edge of the smooth-edged segment (103) lies within a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing. In addition, it is preferred that the bottom edge of said smooth-edged segment is positioned in the longitudinal dimension above the lowest point of any of the piercing means teeth (102). In the assembled pierced state of the container, the connection between the inner part of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) and said circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) is broken along the partially circumferential piercing path (105), while a connection with the circumferential rim is maintained at the level of the non-pierced membrane segment (106), as previously discussed.

Next to maintaining a connection between the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) and the pierced membrane through said non-pierced membrane segment (106), it is advantageous to further minimize the possible interference of the pierced membrane with the flow of the content of the container, for instance when shaking or evacuating the content of the container in its assembled pierced state. Therefore, it is preferred that upon the movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall relative to the lower compartment (3), the piercing means (10) can be moved downwards, below the plane of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, such that after its piercing, the pierced membrane can be folded down from the circumferential rim at the site where the non-pierced membrane segment (106) remains attached and is blocked between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). Therefore, with reference to FIG. 27 and FIG. 28, it is preferred that the downward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall can cause the descent of at least part of the piercing means below the plane of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, in order to fold the pierced membrane downwards, thereby confining at least part of the pierced membrane between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). Therefore, it is preferred that the downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall can cause the descent of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) such that at least part of the segment of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) that is adjacent to the non-pierced membrane segment (106) extends below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing. Preferably, said downward movement can be continued at least until the bottom edge of said part of the circumferential piercing means wall segment adjacent to the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is situated below the plane of the lowest intercompartment membrane, in its state before piercing, at a longitudinal distance (distance “b” in FIGS. 27 and 28) from said plane corresponding to at least 2%, for instance at least 4%, such as at least 8% or at least 10%, of the length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall (distance “a” in FIGS. 27 and 28). The length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall (distance “a” in FIGS. 27 and 28) is defined as the distance of the longest straight line that goes through the centroid of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall and that connects two points along the circumference of said transverse cross-section.

In order to favor the confinement of the membrane between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6), the container and piercing means are preferably designed such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container, the shortest distance in the transverse dimension between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment remains attached (distance “c” in FIGS. 27 and 28), is less than 15%, preferably less than 10%, such as less than 7.5% or less than 5%, of the length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall (distance “a” in FIGS. 27 and 28). In addition, it is preferred that, in the assembled pierced state of the container, the shortest distance in the transverse dimension between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) (distance “d” in FIGS. 27 and 28) is less than 15%, preferably less than 10%, such as less than 7.5% or less than 5% of the length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall (distance “a” in FIGS. 27 and 28). It is further preferred that, over a given longitudinal distance downward from the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing, the transverse circumference of the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) is at most 15%, preferably less than 10%, such as less than 7.5% or less than 5%, larger than the transverse circumference of the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100). Preferably said longitudinal distance downward from the plane of the intercompartment membrane, in its state before piercing, corresponds to at least 5%, for instance at least 10%, such as at least 25% or 50%, of the length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall (distance “a” in FIGS. 27 and 28). Preferably, over said longitudinal distance downward from the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing, the transverse circumference of the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) is more than 85%, such as more than 90% or more than 95%, of the transverse circumference of the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), (32), or (36)) to which the intercompartment membrane is adhered or connected. Preferably, over said longitudinal distance downward from the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing, the transverse circumference of the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) is less than 115%, such as less than 110% or less than 105%, of the transverse circumference of the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), (32), or (36)) to which the intercompartment membrane is adhered or connected.

In order to maximize the opening between said upper compartment (2) and lower compartment (3), it is advantageous that, along the partially circumferential piercing path (105), the intercompartment membrane ((8), and/or (9)) is pierced within the vicinity of the inner side of the circumferential rim ((11), (32), or (36)) to which said intercompartment membrane is adhered or connected. Therefore, it is preferred that, along the partially circumferential piercing path (105), the shortest distance in the transverse dimension between said piercing path and the inner side of said circumferential rim (distance “e” in FIGS. 27 and 28) is less than 15%, preferably less than 10%, such as less than 7.5% or less than 5%, of the length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall (distance “a” in FIGS. 27 and 28).

Preferably, the downward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall can be continued until part of the bottom edge of the smooth-edged segment (103) is situated below the plane of the lowest intercompartment membrane, in its state before piercing, at a longitudinal distance (distance “b” in FIGS. 27 and 28) from said plane corresponding to at least 2%, for instance at least 4%, such as at least 8% or at least 10%, of the length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall (distance “a” in FIGS. 27 and 28). Preferably, during the downward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the smooth-edged segment (103) contacts the intercompartment membrane and assists in exerting downwards pressure on the intercompartment membrane, such that, after its piercing, the intercompartment membrane is inclined downwards from the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is attached, preferably towards the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). Preferably, the container of the present invention is designed such that the downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall relative to the lower compartment (3) cannot be continued, and therefore is completed, when the smooth-edged segment (103) of the piercing means is lowered such that the intercompartment membrane is sufficiently inclined downwards from the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is attached, so as to facilitate easy mixing of the contents of the upper and lower compartments. The completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall occurs when said part of the circumferential upper-compartment wall is brought down to the level whereon the design of the container blocks any further downward movement of said moveable part (5). Said blocking may result from the design of the guidance means (18) or from the interaction of certain parts of the container with each other, such as for instance the top edge of an overlapping parallel wall segment (12) that is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall contacting the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, or the bottom edge of an overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall contacting a rim section statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6).

In case the guidance means guiding the movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall are longitudinally oriented straight linear motion bearings, the internal angle in the transverse dimension between the two rays connecting the central axis of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) to the endpoints of the smooth-edged segment (103) is about equal to the angle α, with a being the angle covered by the non-pierced membrane segment (106) (FIG. 27). It is further preferred that, in case of longitudinally oriented straight linear motion bearings, the bottom edge of the smooth-edged segment (103) is higher than the highest point between any pair of adjacent piercing means teeth (102). In this particular case, it is also preferred that the smooth-edged segment (103) is bordered on each side by a narrow indentation (107). The highest point of said narrow indentation (107) is, in the assembled pierced state of the container, preferably located above the transverse plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing.

In a particular embodiment of a container according to the present invention of which the guidance means (18) are longitudinally oriented straight linear motion bearings, it is preferred that the piercing means tooth that is most distant from the midpoint of the smooth-edged segment (103) has a lowest point that is lower than the lowest points of all other piercing means teeth, while the lowest points of the other piercing means teeth are gradually higher when moving away from said lowest tooth towards the endpoints of the smooth-edged segment (103) of the piercing means (10). The advantage of the configuration of the piercing means teeth according to this embodiment, is that less acute force is needed to pierce the intercompartment membrane, by allowing the respective piercing means teeth (102) to gradually penetrate the intercompartment membrane during the downward movement of the piercing means (10) relative to the lower compartment (3).

In case the guidance means guiding the movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall comprise helical threaded screws, helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings, then the smooth-edged segment (103) preferably covers an angle ε, whereby ε is between 50% and 150% of the formula “α−γ+δ”, with a being the angle of the non-pierced membrane segment (106), γ being the rotation angle required for descending the piercing means (10) until at least one of the piercing means teeth penetrates the intercompartment membrane, and δ being a pre-set rotation angle of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall providing a pre-set longitudinal distance over which the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall should minimally descend to reach the assembled pierced state of the container (FIG. 28). With respect to the design of the smooth-edged segment of the piercing means, in case helical threaded screws, helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings are use as guidance means (18), the skilled person will understand that the theoretical guidance provided above should be complemented with empirical tests in order to correct for deviations associated with factors such as for example, the tension, penetration resistance and elasticity of the intercompartment membrane.

In a particular embodiment of a container according to the present invention of which the guidance means (18) are either helical threaded screws, helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings, with reference to FIG. 29, it is preferred that the lowest piercing means tooth, located immediatately after the smooth-edged segment (103), has a lowest point that is lower than the lowest points of all other piercing means teeth, while the highest piercing means tooth, located immediatately before the smooth-edged segment (103), has a lowest point that is higher than the lowest points of all other piercing means teeth, with “before” and “after” in the context of the current sentence being defined relative to the direction of the transverse circular vectorial component of said movement. It is further preferred that the lowest points of the piercing means teeth located between the lowest and the highest piercing means tooth are gradually higher than the lowest point of the lowest piercing means tooth. The lowest points of the piercing means teeth are preferably situated substantially along a virtual helical path, of which the slope is lower than the slope of the helical threaded screw of the guidance means (18). Preferably, the slope of the virtual helical path connecting the lowest points of the piercing means teeth is between 5% and 50% of the slope of the helical threaded screw of the guidance means (18). Preferably, the lead of the virtual helical path connecting the lowest points of the piercing means teeth is between 5% and 50% of the lead of the helical threaded screw of the guidance means (18). In case of this embodiment of the piercing means (10), the smooth-edged segment (103) preferably covers an angle ε, whereby ε is between 50% and 150% of the formula “α−γ−φ+δ”, with α being the angle of the non-pierced membrane segment (106), γ being the rotation angle required for descending the piercing means (10) until at least one of the piercing means teeth penetrates the intercompartment membrane, φ being the rotation angle required for covering the longitudinal distance between the lowest point of the lowest piercing means tooth and the lowest point of the highest piercing means tooth, and δ being a pre-set rotation angle of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall providing a pre-set longitudinal distance over which the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall should minimally descend to reach the assembled pierced state of the container. The advantage of the configuration of the piercing means teeth according to this embodiment is that less acute force is needed to pierce the intercompartment membrane, by allowing the individual piercing means teeth to penetrate the intercompartment membrane one after the other during the downward movement of the piercing means (10).

In a particular embodiment, the container of the present invention further comprises a membrane folding means (150) assisting in folding and immobilizing the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) after the piercing thereof. This membrane folding means is mounted in the container such that the downward movement of the piercing means can cause the membrane folding means (150) to incline downwards to the inner side of the circumferential lower compartment wall (6), whereby the membrane folding means acts upon the pierced membrane to fold it downwards to the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). With reference to FIG. 30, the membrane folding means (150) comprises an elongated structure of which the long axis (“f” in FIG. 30) has about the same orientation in the transverse dimension as the straight line through the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) and the midpoint (i) of the partially circumferential piercing path (105). Preferably, the elongated structure of the membrane folding means encompasses both a point along the longitudinal straight line through the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) and a point along the longitudinal straight line through the centroid (h) of the circumferential piercing means wall (100). Such membrane folding means (150) may lie over, lie under or be incorporated in the intercompartment membrane, increasing its stiffness along at least part of an oblong zone having about the same orientation in the transverse dimension as the straight line through the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) and the midpoint (i) of the partially circumferential piercing path (105). This increased stiffness of the membrane favors maintaining the downward folded position of the intercompartment membrane after it has been pierced and confined between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the inner side of the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). The membrane folding means can be folded down together with the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)), preferably through a hinge region (151) positioned in the transverse dimension between the inner side of the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment (106) remains attached and the longitudinal projection on the membrane folding means of the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall. The inclination of the membrane folding means can be effectuated by said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, for instance, but not limited to, through a contact between the bottom edge of the smooth-edged segment (103) of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) with the membrane folding means in a zone internal with respect to the hinge region (151), thus pushing the membrane folding means downwards during the longitudinal movement of the piercing means (FIG. 30), or during combined longitudinal and circular movement of the piercing means (FIGS. 31 and 32).

Preferably, the membrane folding means has a thickness of 0.1 to 5 mm, more preferably from 0.2 to 2 mm, and has a stiffness that is higher than that of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)), and/or higher than that of the other parts of the intercompartment membrane in case it forms integral part of it. The membrane folding means has a surface in the transverse dimension that is at least 5%, preferably at least 10%, and not more than 50%, preferably not more than 40%, most preferably not more than 30%, of the surface of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100). The point of the membrane folding means that is most distant from the centroid of the hinge region (151) is located within the perimeter of the longitudinal projection of the circumferential piercing means wall (100). The distance in the transverse dimension from the centroid of the hinge region (151) to the point of the membrane folding means that is most distant from the centroid of the hinge region (151) is preferably larger than the distance from the centroid of the hinge region (151) to the longitudinal projection of the centroid of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) on said membrane folding means (150).

In a first configuration of the membrane folding means (150), which is suitable for container variants of FIGS. 5 to 12 and FIGS. 17 to 24, the membrane folding means (150) is an elongated structure that, in the assembled non-pierced state of the container, lies over the upper side of the intercompartment membrane, or the upper side of the upper intercompartment membrane in case there are two or more intercompartment membranes (FIGS. 33 and 34). The membrane folding means (150) is connected to a segment along the inner side of the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall of the container variants of FIGS. 5 to 12, or to a segment of the circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35) of the container variants of FIGS. 17 to 24. In this configuration said elongated structure is, in the assembled non-pierced state of the container, typically attached to the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall or to the circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35) at a position above the intercompartment membrane and below the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall (100). A hinge region in the form of a weakening zone (151), having a lower thickness than the rest of the membrane folding means (150), may be provided in the transverse dimension between the inner side of the circumferential rim to which the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is attached or connected and the longitudinal projection on the membrane folding means of the circumferential piercing means wall (100). FIG. 53 shows an example of a container with a membrane folding means according to the first configuration of the membrane folding means.

In a second configuration of the membrane folding means (150), which is suitable for all container variants shown in FIGS. 1 to 24, the membrane folding means (150) is a discrete member which, in the assembled non-pierced state of the container, is adhered, for instance using an adhesive, to the upper side of the intercompartment membrane, or to the upper side of the upper intercompartment membrane in case there are two or more intercompartment membranes (FIGS. 35 and 36). In this configuration the hinge region (151) corresponds to a zone of the intercompartment membrane within the non-pierced segment, which is not covered by the membrane folding means.

In a third configuration of the membrane folding means (150), which is suitable for all container variants shown in FIGS. 1 to 24, the membrane folding means (150), in the assembled non-pierced state of the container, lies underneath the intercompartment membrane and is adhered at least over part of its upper surface to the lower side of the intercompartment membrane (FIGS. 37 and 38). The membrane folding means of the third configuration of the membrane folding means has similar properties as those of the first configuration of the membrane folding means, except that it is connected to the circumferential rim (11) to which the intercompartment membrane (8) is adhered or connected. In case of container variants with two intercompartment membranes, such as the container variants of FIGS. 9 to 12 and FIGS. 21 to 24, the lower side of the upper intercompartment membrane (9) needs to be adhered during container assembly to the upper side of the lower intercompartment membrane (8).

In a fourth configuration of the membrane folding means (150), which is suitable for container variants shown in variants of FIGS. 5 to 12 and 17 to 24, the membrane folding means (150) is an integral part of the intercompartment membrane (9). The membrane folding means according to the fourth configuration of the membrane folding means has similar properties as those according to the first configuration of the membrane folding means, except that it is an integral part of an intercompartment membrane connected to the circumferential rim (32) located at the inner side of the static part (7) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall of the container variants of FIGS. 5 to 12, or that it is an integral part of a intercompartment membrane connected to a circumferential rim (36) of a circumferential lower-compartment overcoat (35) of the container variants of FIGS. 21 to 24 (FIGS. 39 and 40). The intercompartment membrane (9), of which the membrane folding means is an integral part, has a membrane weakening zone (153) along the longitudinal projection of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) on said intercompartment membrane. The part (154) of the intercompartment membrane outside the membrane folding means (150) and internal to the membrane weakening zone (153) has a lower stiffness than said membrane folding means, and is sufficiently flexible as to allow, after actuation of the piercing means, it to be bended against the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6).

Preferably, at least one pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) of the circumferential enclosure (4) comprises at least one dynamic sealing structure (19), whereby one of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments (12) is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall and the other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 24. Said dynamic sealing structure (19) seals off, preferably in a gas and/or liquid tight way, the inside of the upper compartment (2) from the outside of the container in either or both its assembled non-pierced state and assembled pierced state. Preferably, said sealing off also occurs during and upon completion of the downward movement, relative to the lower compartment (3), of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.

With reference to FIG. 41, such dynamic sealing structure typically comprises at least one circumferential fluting (91) or rim (92) on the wall surface of at least a circumferential segment of at least one of the overlapping parallel wall segments in the circumferential enclosure (4), such that the extremity in the transverse dimension of the circumferential fluting (91) or rim (92) contacts the opposite facing wall of the adjoining overlapping parallel wall segment. Such dynamic sealing structure may comprise a plurality of circumferential flutings or rims on the wall surface of at least a circumferential segment of one of the overlapping parallel wall segments in the circumferential enclosure (4), such that the extremities in the transverse dimension of the circumferential flutings or rims touch the opposite facing wall of the adjoining overlapping parallel wall segment. Preferably, the extremities in the transverse dimension of the circumferential flutings or rims touch the opposite facing wall of the adjoining overlapping parallel wall segment in either or both the assembled non-pierced state of the container and the assembled pierced state of the container. Preferably, the extremities in the transverse dimension of the circumferential flutings or rims also touch the opposite facing wall of the adjoining overlapping parallel wall segment during and upon completion of the downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall relative to the lower compartment (3). Examples of such container with a dynamic sealing structure and a guidance means located between two different pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments are shown in FIGS. 51 and 53.

Preferably, at least one pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) of the circumferential enclosure (4) comprises at least one upward blocking means (14), whereby one of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments (12) is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall and the other (13) is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 24.

The upward blocking means can comprise a plurality of transverse barbs along the walls of a pair of adjoining parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)). With reference to FIG. 42 it is preferred that a first transverse barb (121) is comprised on the overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall and that a second transverse barb (122) is comprised on the overlapping parallel wall segment (12) that is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). In the assembled non-pierced state of the container said first transverse barb (121) is positioned below said second transverse barb (122), such that the interaction between the first and second barb ((121) and (122)) substantially blocks the upward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. It is further preferred that the container comprises a third transverse barb (123), which is either positioned on the overlapping parallel wall segment (12) that is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6) at a position below said second transverse barb (122) or on the overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall at a position above said first transverse barb (121).

In the embodiments wherein said third transverse barb (123) is positioned below the second transverse barb (122), the longitudinal position of the third transverse barb (123) is selected such that in the assembled pierced state of the container, said first transverse barb (121) is positioned below said third transverse barb (123), such that the interaction between the first and third transverse barb ((121) and (123)) substantially blocks the upward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Preferably, said blocking of the upward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall ensures that at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall is maintained below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing. Optionally, in between said second (122) and third (123) transverse barbs a plurality of additional transverse barbs (124) may be present on the overlapping parallel wall segment (12) that is part or is statically connected to the circumferential lower-compartment wall (6). These additional barbs (124) prevent the upward movement of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall upon regular intervals during the downward movement of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall towards the lower compartment (3). In the embodiments wherein said third transverse barb (123) is positioned above the first transverse barb (121), the longitudinal position of the of the third transverse is selected such that in the assembled pierced state of the container, said third transverse barb (123) is positioned below said second transverse barb (122), such that the interaction between the third and second transverse barb ((123) and (122)) substantially blocks the upward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. Preferably, said blocking of the upward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall makes sure that at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall is maintained below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing. Optionally, in between said first (121) and third (123) transverse barbs a plurality of additional transverse barbs (124) may be present on the overlapping parallel wall segment (13) that is part or is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. These additional barbs (124) prevent the upward movement of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall upon regular intervals during the downward movement of said moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall towards the lower compartment (3).

The upward blocking means can comprise, for instance but not limited to, a ratchet means located between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)). With reference to FIG. 43, such ratchet means may for example comprise one or more longitudinally positioned ratchet pawls (200) connected to one of the overlapping parallel wall segments, whereby said ratchet pawls (200) interact with longitudinally positioned ridges (201) on the adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments and whereby such ridges act as ratchet teeth. The angle in the transverse dimension between the main blade of the ratchet pawl and the overlapping parallel wall segment ((12) or (13)) to which the ratchet pawl is connected is chosen such that motion over a substantial distance of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall is possible in the downward but not in the upward direction. It is further preferred that such ratchet means makes an audible click noise each time the ratchet pawl slides over a ratchet tooth. An example of such container with upward blocking means in the form of a ratchet means is shown in FIGS. 50 and 53.

The upward blocking means of the container of the present invention can comprise, for instance but not limited to, a directional screwing means, which is located at the level of a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)), and which acts both as an upward blocking means and as a helical threaded screw type guidance means for guiding the downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. With reference to FIG. 44, such directional screwing means may comprise a longitudinally positioned ratchet pawl (200) connected to an internally recessed zone (204) on the internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment. The internally positioned overlapping parallel wall comprises on its outer side external helical threads (170) whereby said threads are interrupted within said internally recessed zone (204). The externally positioned adjoining overlapping parallel wall segment comprises on its inner side internal helical threads (171), which comprise a plurality of equally sized ratchet teeth (203) positioned at regular intervals. Said ratchet teeth (203) along said internal helical thread (171) are aligned with respect to each other in the longitudinal dimension. When the adjoining parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) engage via the engaging helical threads on said adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, the ratchet pawl (200) on the internally recessed zone (204) of the internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment interacts with the ratchet teeth (203) on the internal helical threads (171) of the externally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment. The angle and dimensions of the ratchet pawl (200) and the angles and dimensions of the ratchet teeth (203) are selected such that upon movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall in the downward direction, the ratchet pawl (200) slides over the ratchet teeth (203), while upon movement in the upward direction, the ratchet pawl (200) and ratchet teeth (203) engage, leading to a substantial blocking of the upward movement. The internally recessed zone (204) provides room for the flexible ratchet pawl (200) to bend inwardly when sliding over the ratchet teeth (203) upon movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall in the downward direction. Examples of such container with upward blocking means in the form of a directional screw means are shown in FIGS. 51 and 54.

In order to prevent an unintentional downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, it is preferred that in any of the embodiments of the container of the present invention said container comprises a moveable or removable downward blocking means ((181, (182), or (184)). Unless moved or removed, said downward blocking means substantially prevents the downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall in the direction of the lower compartment (3) in the assembled non-pierced state of the container. Preferably, this downward blocking means is mounted on the outer surface of the container within the vicinity of the overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) of the circumferential enclosure (4) and said downward blocking means is removable or moveable. The downward blocking means may also serve to visually detect tampering of the container. Said downward blocking means can be, for instance but not limited to, in the form of a tear strip (184) with pull tab (185) or other type of handle, or in the form of a tear tab ((181) or (182)). Such tear strip (184) or tear tab ((181) or (182)) can be attached by a weakening line or frangible line (186) to either the external circumferential upper-compartment wall or the external circumferential lower-compartment wall, and is mounted such that, unless moved or removed, it substantially blocks the downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall in the direction of the lower compartment (3) in the assembled non-pierced state of the container.

The container according to the present invention has at least one closable opening (60) within its enclosure (FIGS. 1 to 24), preferably located at the top of the upper compartment, said closable opening allowing the filling of the upper compartment (2) and/or the evacuation of the contents of the upper compartment (2), and/or the evacuation of the mixed contents of the upper compartment (2) and lower compartment (3) after actuation of the piercing means. This closable opening (60) of the upper compartment (2) can preferably be closed in a leak-proof way by any appropriate closure means known to the skilled artisan, such as for instance but not limited to, a lid, a screw cap, a tap, an impervious removable sealing membrane that can be removed with a pull tab, or combinations thereof. Examples of containers with an impervious removable sealing membrane (63) at the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment are shown in FIGS. 51 and 54, an example of a container with a closable lid (64) at the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment is shown in FIG. 52, and examples of containers with a screw cap (62) at the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment are shown in FIGS. 50 and 53. Such closure means can be equipped with a tamper detection means, such as but not limited to, a tamper detection band.

When evacuating the combined content from the container in its assembled pierced state through an opened closable opening in the upper compartment, it may be advantageous to tilt the container such that the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid (k) of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, in order to minimize the interference of the membrane with the flow of said content. Such positioning of the container minimises the interference of the folded membrane with the flow of the evacuating content. Therefore, it is preferred that in any embodiment of the container of the present invention that comprises a closable opening (60) in the upper compartment (2), and in particular in those embodiments lacking a membrane folding means, said container is designed such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the user is incited to tilt the container such that the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid (k) of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, in order to minimize the interference of the membrane with the flow of said content. In case the container comprises a circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)) to which the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) is connected or adhered in its state before piercing, this implies that container is designed such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the user is incited to tilt the container such that the midpoint of the circumferential rim section, to which the non-pierced membrane segment (106) remains attached, is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid of the circumferential rim ((11), and/or (32) and/or (36)). Preferably, this is achieved by designing the container such that the centroid of the closable opening (60) in the upper compartment (2) is eccentric in the transverse dimension with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100). With reference to FIGS. 45, 46, and 47, it is further preferred that the design of the container is such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the centroid (j) of the closable opening (60) in the upper compartment (2) is, in the transverse dimension, more distant from the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) than the centroid (h) of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100). More particularly, with reference to FIGS. 45, 46, and 47, in case the container has an eccentric positioning of the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment with respect to the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100), it is preferred that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the angle (η) between the longitudinal plane going through the centroid (h) of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the centroid (j) of the upper-compartment closable opening (60) and the longitudinal plane going through the centroid (h) of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) and the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is between 90° and 270°, preferably between 135° and 225°, most preferably between 160° and 200°. In case the container has an eccentric positioning of the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment with respect to the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) it is preferred that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the most external point of the upper-compartment closable opening (60) is substantially opposite in the transverse dimension with respect to the midpoint of the non-pierced membrane segment. An eccentric positioning of the centroid of the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) can be obtained through a neck region of the upper compartment which is eccentrically positioned with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100), as in FIGS. 45 and 46. Examples of containers with an eccentrically positioned neck region of the upper compartment are shown in FIGS. 51, 52, and 54. Alternatively, an eccentric positioning of the centroid of the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) can be obtained by a partial cover (61) of the top side of the neck region of the upper compartment, as in FIG. 47. An example of a container with a partial cover (61) of the top side of the neck region of the upper compartment is shown in FIGS. 49 and 50.

Alternatively or in addition to said eccentric positioning of the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment (2), the incitement of the user towards tilting the container in its assembled pierced state and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, such that the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid (k) of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, is achieved by the selection and design of the closure means for closing the closable opening (60) of the upper compartment (2). With reference to FIGS. 52 and 54 this can be achieved by using for instance a removable sealing membrane (63) with a pull tab (169) or a closable lid (64) with a pull tab (169) and/or hinge (167). With reference to FIG. 48, it is preferred that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, said pull tab (169) is positioned about opposite in the transverse dimension with respect to the midpoint of the non-pierced membrane segment (106). With reference to FIG. 48, it is preferred that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the line segment connecting the most external point of the pull tab (169) of the removable sealing membrane (63) or closable lid (64) to the centroid (j) of the closable opening (60) crosses the arc (m) along the circumference of said closable opening (60) of which the length is half the length of the full circumference of the closable opening (60) and of which the midpoint (n) is positioned substantially opposite in the transverse dimension with respect to the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106). In case said closable lid (64) also comprises a hinge (167), it is preferred that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, said hinge (167) is positioned at about the same side in the transverse dimension as the midpoint of the non-pierced membrane segment (106).

In any of the embodiments of the container of the present invention wherein said closable opening (60) is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall and which aim at guiding the user to tilt the container such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid (k) of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, said closeable opening should be designed, oriented and/or positioned in view of the design of the piercing means (10) and the type and design of the guidance means (18) guiding said downward movement. The position along the circumferential enclosure of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) in the containers according to said embodiments is substantially determined by the combination of the design of the piercing means (10) and the type and design of said guidance means (18). Once the piercing means (10) and guidance means (18) have been selected, said position along the circumferential enclosure of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) can be determined empirically or by modeling. As illustrated in FIGS. 45, 46, and 47 this information subsequently allows to design, orient and/or position said closeable opening such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the opening is oriented and/or positioned to incite the user to tilt the container, such that the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid (k) of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing.

In any of the embodiments of the container of the present invention wherein said closable opening (60) is statically connected to the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall and which aim at inciting the user to tilt the container such that, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, the midpoint (g) of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid (k) of the intercompartment membrane ((8) and/or (9)) in its state before piercing, it is preferred that the container comprises an upward blocking means (18), which, in the assembled pierced state of the container and preferably upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall, prevents the upward movement of said moveable part (5) in order to assist in maintaining said position of the closable opening relative to the position of the non-pierced membrane segment (106) as indicated above. The presence of such upward blocking means (18) for this purpose is particularly useful in containers comprising helical threaded screws, helical motion bearings or non-helical linear/circular motion bearings as guidance means (18) for guiding said downward movement of the moveable part (5) of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.

The lower compartment (3) can also have one or more closable openings within its enclosure, allowing the filling of the lower compartment (3) and/or evacuation of the contents of the lower compartment, and/or the evacuation of the mixed contents of the upper compartment and lower compartment after actuation of the piercing means, such closable openings being closed with any appropriate closure means known to the skilled artisan, such as for instance but not limited to, a lid, a screw cap, a tap, an impervious removable sealing membrane that can be removed with a pull tab, or combinations thereof.

The containers of the present invention can have different shapes and sizes, and it is understood that the schematic representations in the Figures only serve to illustrate the principle of the containers according to the present invention, not to illustrate their shape and sizes, which need to be adapted according to the particular nature and quantity of the contents of their compartments and the fields of application. In case the guidance means guide movement with only a longitudinal straight linear vectorial component, then the shape of the transverse cross section of the overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) within the circumferential enclosure (4) has no particular restriction. In case the guidance means guides movement with also a transverse circular vectorial component, then the shape of the transverse cross section of the overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)) within the circumferential enclosure (4) is circular. Below or above the overlapping parallel wall segments ((12) and (13)), there is no particular restriction as to the shape of the transverse cross-section or longitudinal cross section of the circumferential walls of the upper and lower compartment. It is preferred that the shapes of the transverse cross-sections and longitudinal cross sections of the circumferential walls of the upper and lower compartment are designed such that filling, mixing and evacuation of the contents of the container compartments is not hampered. Moreover, it is preferred that the bottom transverse wall of the lower compartment has a size and shape allowing the container to stand upright in the longitudinal dimension.

The containers of the present invention can be used to package and store a first product in the upper compartment (2) and a second product in the lower compartment (3), whereby the first and second product need to be combined to prepare a ready-to-use product, such as a ready-to-eat food product. Preferably, one of said first and second product is a liquid or hydrocolloid liquid product, such as a liquid or hydrocolloid liquid food product, while the other of said first and second product is either a liquid or hydrocolloid liquid or a solid product, such as a powdered solid product or a particulate solid product. Suitable liquid or hydrocolloid liquid products can be selected from, for instance but not limited to, dairy drinks, milk replacement products, such as soy, oat or rice milk, soups, fruit juices, coffee, tea, alcoholic drinks, or soft drinks, or mixes thereof. Suitable particulate solid products can be selected from, for instance but not limited to, cereals or pseudo-cereals, granulated cereals, extruded cereals, cereal or pseudo-cereal flour based products, vegetables, chopped vegetables, fruits, fruit parts, nuts, chocolate particles, candies meat, or chopped meat or mixes thereof. Preferably, said particulate solid product is a ready-to-eat cereal or a ready-to-eat cereal, optionally mixed with other particulate solid products such as fruits, fruit particles, nuts, nut particles, chocolate particles and mixes thereof. When a ready-to-eat cereal is selected as one of said first or second product it is preferred that the other of said first or second product is a liquid or hydrocolloid liquid product selected from dairy-type liquid products or milk replacement products.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a directional screw means, which allows connecting two members by a helical threaded screw connection in such way that screwing of both members is allowed in one direction while unscrewing in the opposite direction is prevented. Such directional screwing means comprises:

-   -   a first member with a quasi-cylindrical bolt-like part, which         optionally is hollow, of which the outer side of the         circumferential wall has a recessed zone that is internal with         respect to the virtual cylinder coinciding with the remainder of         said outer circumferential wall;     -   one or more external helical threads (170) on the outer side of         the circumferential wall of the quasi-cylindrical bolt-like         part, whereby said threads are interrupted within said         internally recessed zone;     -   a flexible ratchet pawl (200) connected axially to said         internally recessed zone of the outer side of the         circumferential wall of the quasi-cylindrical bolt-like part,         with axial being defined as parallel to the central axis of the         quasi-cylindrical bolt-like part;     -   a second member with a cylindrical nut-like part; and     -   one or more internal helical threads (171) on the inner side of         the circumferential wall of the cylindrical nut-like part, which         can engage with the external helical threads (170) on the         quasi-cylindrical bolt-like part, whereby said internal helical         threads comprise a plurality of equally sized ratchet teeth         positioned at regular intervals, and whereby said ratchet teeth         are aligned with respect to each other in the axial dimension,         with axial being defined as parallel to the central axis of the         cylindrical nut-like part.         When the member with the bolt-like part engage with the member         with the nut-like part via the engaging helical threads ((170),         (171)) on either part, the ratchet pawl (200) on the internally         recessed zone of the bolt-like part interact with the ratchet         teeth on the internal helical threads of the nut-like part. The         angle of the ratchet pawl (200) and the angles of the ratchet         teeth (171) are selected such that upon motion in the screwing         direction, the ratchet pawl (200) slides over the ratchet teeth,         while upon motion in the unscrewing direction the ratchet pawl         (200) and ratchet teeth (171) engage, leading to substantial         blocking of the motion. The internally recessed zone provides         space for the flexible ratchet pawl (200) to bend inwardly when         sliding over the ratchet teeth (171) upon motion in the screwing         direction. Preferably, said first and second member are produced         by injection moulding whereby the members are pushed out from         the mould with a linear movement parallel to the central axis of         the cylindrical nut-like part or the quasi-cylindrical bolt-like         part.

In the context of the present invention, two parts or members are said to be “statically connected” when upon manipulation or movement of one of the parts or members of the container in its assembled state, the other part or member moves in substantially the same direction, preferably the same direction, and at substantially the same speed, preferably the same speed.

In the context of the present invention, the longitudinal dimension means the dimension parallel to the long symmetry axis of the container, which most typically corresponds to the vertical dimension when the container is positioned with the bottom of the lower compartment on a horizontal surface.

In the context of the present invention, the transverse dimension means the dimension perpendicular to the long symmetry axis of the container. The transverse dimension most typically corresponds to the horizontal dimension when the container is positioned with the bottom of the lower compartment on a horizontal surface.

In the context of the present invention, above, upper, higher and highest refer to a relative position of an object of the container with respect to a comparative object of the container, when the container is positioned in its normal upright position.

In the context of the present invention, below, lower and lowest refer to a relative position of an object of the container with respect to a comparative object of the container, when the container is positioned in its normal upright position.

In the context of the present invention, top refers to a relative highest position of an object of the container when the container is positioned in its normal upright position.

In the context of the present invention, bottom refers to a relative lowest position of an object of the container when the container is positioned in its normal upright position.

In the context of the present invention, internal and inner refer to a relative position of an object of the container that is closer to the longitudinal axis than the comparative object of the container.

In the context of the present invention, external and outer refers to a relative position of an object of the container that is further from the longitudinal axis than the comparative object of the container.

In the context of the present invention, downward refers to the direction from upper to lower, when the container is positioned in its normal upright position. In the context of the present invention, upward refers to the direction from lower to upper, when the container is positioned in its normal upright position.

The invention is further illustrated by way of the illustrative embodiments described below.

Example 1

A particular embodiment of the container according to the present invention is presented in FIGS. 49 and 50. The container of this embodiment is an elaboration of the embodiment schematically represented in FIG. 2. The container (313) according to this illustrative embodiment comprises an upper (2) and lower compartment (3) separated by an intercompartment membrane (8) and is obtained by assembling two individual members, referred to as the upper (311) and lower member (312). Preferably, the upper (311) and lower member (312) are made in a plastic material using injection moulding.

The lower member (312) has a cup shape and comprises a circumferential rim (11) from which extends upwards a circumferential collar (7). At its inner side said circumferential collar (7) comprises a plurality of longitudinal ridges (201). At its outer side the circumferential collar (7) comprises part of a guidance means (18) in the form of external helical threads (170). The lower member (312) further comprises a downward blocking means (181), which has the form of an outward extending tear tab and is attached immediately below or to the bottom section of the outer side of the circumferential collar (7) through a weakening zone (186). The downward blocking means (181) can be removed from the lower member by tearing.

The upper member (311) is an open cylindroid structure comprising a closable opening (60) at its top end and two parallel circumferential walls (40, 100) at its bottom end. The external circumferential wall (40) comprises part of a guidance means (18) in the form of internal helical threads (171) at its inner side. The internal circumferential wall (100), which also represents the circumferential piercing means wall, has one or more, preferably two or more, sharp-edged structures (102) at its bottom edge for providing a piercing means (10) allowing to pierce the intercompartment membrane (8). Said piercing means is designed in accordance with the principles represented in FIG. 28. The inner circumferential wall (100) further comprises one or more, for example two, longitudinal pawls (200), which extend from the outer side of said inner circumferential wall (100) under an angle 8 relative to the radius of said cylindroid upper member (311), wherein said angle is preferably between 10° and 80°, more preferably between 30° and 60°. The top side of the neck region of the upper member (311) has a partial cover (61) to provide for an eccentric positioning of the centroid of the closable opening (60) with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100), according to the configuration shown in FIG. 47.

The assembly of said upper (311) and lower member (312) into the final compartmentalized container (313) typically involves the concomitant packaging of the contents to be contained in the respective compartments of the container. A possible procedure for assembling the container (313) and packaging said contents may be as follows. The cup shaped lower member (312) is filled with a first content, whereby the content level is maintained below the circumferential rim (11). This is followed by adhering an intercompartment membrane to the circumferential rim (11), for instance by induction welding, thus enclosing the liquid component in the lower compartment (3). Thereafter, the upper member (311) is mounted on the lower member by means of the engaging helical threads ((170), (171)) on the inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (311) and on the outer side of the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (312), respectively. Upon assembly of the container, the circumferential collar (7) corresponds to the static part of the circumferential upper-compartment wall.

When assembling the container (313), the upper member (311) is screwed down on the lower member such that the pawls (200) extending from the outer side of the inner circumferential wall (100) of the upper member (311) interact with the plurality of longitudinal ridges (201) on the inner side of the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (312), whereby this interaction forms an upward blocking means in the form of a ratchet preventing upward unscrewing of the upper member relative to the lower member, while allowing downward screwing of the upper member relative to the lower member. The upper member (311) should be mounted on the lower member (312) such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) is positioned sufficiently above the intercompartment membrane (8) avoiding inadvertent piercing of this membrane. The downward blocking means (181) extending outwardly from the bottom section of the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (312) assists in preventing that the upper member (311) is positioned too far down on the upper member. This downward blocking means (181) further serves as a tamper-evident, which, if absent or damaged, indicates that the upper member may have been lowered to the extent that the piercing means teeth (102) pierced the intercompartment membrane (8). The assembly of the upper (311) and lower member (312) provides an upper compartment (2), being enclosed by the intercompartment membrane (8), the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (312) and the circumferential walls of the upper member (311), whereby the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (312) and the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (311) are parallel to each other and partially overlap. This upper compartment (2) of the container can be filled with a second content through the closable opening (60). After filling the upper compartment (2), the opening (60) is closed with a cap (62), thereby fully enclosing the second content in the upper compartment (2).

Prior to utilization of the mixed contents contained in the container (313) according to the present invention, the consumer should remove the downward blocking means (181). After removal of the blocking means (181) the upper member (311) can be screwed downwards relative to the lower member (312), resulting in the piercing and folding of the intercompartment membrane (8), thus allowing the mixing of the first and second content contained in the container (313) in its assembled pierced state. Optionally, the consumer may shake the container to further mix the first and second content, before removing the cap from the closable opening (60), from which the mixed contents can be removed from the combined interior space of upper and lower compartments.

Example 2

A particular embodiment of the container according to the present invention is presented in FIG. 51. The container of this example is an elaboration of the embodiment schematically represented in FIG. 3. The container (323) according to this illustrative embodiment comprises an upper (2) and lower compartment (3) separated by an intercompartment membrane (8) and is obtained by assembling two individual members, referred to as the upper member (321) and lower member (322). Preferably, the upper member (321) and lower member (322) are made in a plastic material using injection moulding.

The lower member (322) has a cup shape and comprises a circumferential rim (11) from which extends upwards a circumferential collar (7), which at its top is connected via a top rim (46) to an external circumferential wall (42) depending downwards from said top rim (46). The external circumferential wall (42) of the lower member (322) has an internally recessed zone (204), from which extends outwardly a longitudinally positioned pawl (200). The external circumferential wall (42) has external helical threads (170) on its outer side, which are interrupted within said internally recessed zone (204). The lower member (332) further comprises a downward blocking means (181), which has the form of an outward extending tear tab and is attached through a weakening zone (186) to the bottom section of the outer side of the external circumferential wall (42). The downward blocking means (181) can be folded downwards from said weakening zone (186) by pulling, while it remains attached to said weakening zone (186).

The upper member (321) is an open cylindroid structure comprising a closable opening (60) at the top end. At the bottom end, the upper member (321) has three parallel circumferential walls: the external circumferential wall (40), the internal circumferential wall (43) and the circumferential piercing means wall (100). The inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (321) has internal helical threads (171), comprising ratchet teeth (203) that are positioned at regular intervals such that they are aligned longitudinally along the different thread segments. The role of the internal circumferential wall (43) is to provide a dynamic sealing structure (19) upon interaction of its outer side with the inner side of the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (322). The circumferential piercing means wall (100) comprises one or more, preferably two or more, sharp-edged structures (102) at its bottom edge for providing a piercing means (10) allowing to pierce the intercompartment membrane (8). Said piercing means is designed in accordance with the principles represented in FIGS. 28 and 29. The neck region of the upper member (321) has an asymmetric shape to provide for an eccentric positioning of the centroid of the closable opening (60) with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100), according to the configuration shown in FIG. 46.

Assembly and filling of the container (323) can be done as described before for the container of FIG. 3.

Upon assembly, the container (323) comprises a combination of an upward blocking means and guidance means (18) in the form of a directional screw means, according to the configuration shown in FIGS. 44 C and D. Said directional screw means is located between adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((13) and (12)) on the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (321) and on the external circumferential wall (42) of the lower member (322), respectively. The directional screw means comprises a pawl (200) connected longitudinally to the outer side of an internally recessed zone (204) of the external circumferential wall (42) of the lower member (322), whereby said pawl (200) interacts with longitudinally aligned ratchet teeth (203) positioned at regular intervals along internal helical threads (171) on the inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (321). Furthermore, in the container (323), external helical threads (170) on the outer side of the external circumferential wall (42) of the lower member (322), which are interrupted within said internally recessed zone (204), engage with said internal helical threads (171) on the inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (321) to form helical threaded screw type guidance means. The directional screw means of the container (323) allows the upper member (321) to be screwed downwards relative to the lower member (322), but prevents upward unscrewing of said upper member (321) relative to the lower member (322). The container (323) further comprises a moveable downward blocking means in the form of a tear tab (181), which is connected via a weakening line (186) to the bottom edge of the external circumferential wall (42) of the lower member (322). After folding down the downward blocking means (181) such that it is positioned internally relative to the external circumferential wall (42) of the lower member (322), the upper member (321) can be moved downwards relative to the lower member (322) through a movement guided by the directional screw means. During said downwards movement of the upper member (321) relative to the lower member (322), the piercing means teeth (102) at the bottom of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) of the upper member (321) pierce, along the partially circumferential piercing path, the intercompartment membrane (8) adhered to the circumferential rim (11) at the bottom of the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (321). During said downwards movement, the smooth-edged segment (103) at the bottom of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) acts on the intercompartment membrane (8) to fold it downwards from the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is attached. The downward movement of the upper member (321) relative to the lower member (322) is completed when the top rim (46) connecting the external circumferential wall (42) to the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (322) touches a mating shape (28) at the rim connecting the external circumferential wall (40) to the internal circumferential wall (43) of the upper member (321), and/or when the bottom edge of the internal circumferential wall (43) of the upper member (321) touches the circumferential rim (11) at the bottom of the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (322). Upon completion of the downward movement of the upper member (321) relative to the lower member (322), the most external point of the closable opening (60) is substantially opposite in the transverse dimension from the midpoint of the non-pierced membrane segment. The container (323) comprises one or more dynamic sealing structures (19) located either on the inner side of the circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (322) or on the outer side of the internal circumferential wall (43) of the upper member (321), whereby the extremities in the transverse dimension of said dynamic sealing structures touch the opposite facing wall. The container (323) further comprises a closure means in the form of an impervious removable sealing membrane (63) with a pull tab (169) allowing to close the closable opening (60) at the top of the upper member (321).

Example 3

A particular embodiment of the container according to the present invention is presented in FIG. 52. The container of this example is an elaboration of the embodiment schematically represented in FIG. 4. The container (333) according to this illustrative embodiment comprises an upper (2) and lower compartment (3) separated by an intercompartment membrane (8) and is obtained by assembling two individual members, referred to as the upper (331) and lower member (332). Preferably, the upper (331) and lower member (332) are made in a plastic material using injection moulding.

The lower member (332) has a cup shape and comprises a circumferential rim (11) from which extends upwards an internal (7) and external (44) circumferential collar. A rim section (47) connects at least part of the bottom end of the external circumferential collar (44) with bottom end of the internal circumferential collar (7). The internal circumferential collar (7) comprises at its outer side a circumferential barb (121). The external circumferential collar (44) comprises at least one segment (182), for example three segments (182), wherein such segment (182) carries at its upper side an inner rim section (183) that substantially bridges the distance between the inner side of said segment of the external circumferential collar (44) and the outer side of the internal circumferential collar (7), and wherein the rim section (183) is positioned below the circumferential barb (121) on the internal circumferential collar (7). In a particular embodiment said rim (183) is detachably connected to the outer side of the internal circumferential collar (7). At least one lateral end of the segment (182) is either disconnected or more preferably detachably connected to the external circumferential collar (44), which allows to pull out at least part of the segment (182) from the external circumferential collar (44) in order to move outwards the rim section (183) of said segment (182). The external circumferential collar (44) further comprises a plurality of longitudinal ridges (162) extending radially and inwardly from its inner side.

The upper member (331) is an open cylindroid structure comprising a closable opening (60) at its top end and two parallel circumferential walls (40, 100) at its bottom end. The external circumferential wall (40) comprises an upper (123) and lower circumferential barb (122) at its inner side, which can interact with the circumferential barb (121) of the lower member (332) for mounting the upper (331) on the lower member (332). Optionally, the external circumferential wall (40) further comprises on its inner side between the upper (123) and lower circumferential barb (122) one or more longitudinal grooves (168) and/or longitudinal ridges, to allow for venting during the actuation of the piercing means. The external circumferential wall (40) comprises a plurality of longitudinal ridges (163) extending radially and outwardly from its outer side. The internal circumferential wall (100), which also represents the circumferential piercing means wall, comprises one or more, preferably three or more, sharp-edged structures (102) at its bottom edge for providing a piercing means (10) allowing to pierce the intercompartment membrane (8). Said piercing means is designed in accordance with the principles represented in FIG. 27. In a particular embodiment of the upper member (331) according to the present example, the closable opening (60) comprises a lid (64) connected to the upper member (331) wall via a flexible hinge section (167). Preferably, the lid comprises on its outer side a first element (164), which either can clamp or can be clamped in a second element (165) on the external surface of said upper member (331). With respect to the first element (164), said second element (165) is positioned at the opposite side of the hinge (167). The position of the first element (164) and second element (165) is further selected such that they can engage when the lid is folded sufficiently backward, preferably without disrupting the hinge (167). The presence and positioning of said elements allow to maintain the backward folded lid in the opened position. It is also preferred that the lid is sealed with a scorchable label attached to the lid and the adjacent surface of the upper member (331). Such scorchable label contributes to the airtightness of the upper compartment (2) of the assembled container (333), while providing minimal resistance when the lid (64) is opened by the user. This label further serves as a tamper evident, whereby a scorched label indicates that the lid has been opened. In case the upper member is made in a plastic material using injection moulding, the label preferably consists of an in-mould label, which is applied to the lid and surrounding upper member (331) surface during the moulding process. The neck region of the upper member (331) has an asymmetric shape to provide for an eccentric positioning of the centroid of the closable opening (60) with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100), according to the configuration shown in FIG. 45.

The assembly of said upper (331) and lower member (332) into the final compartmentalized container (333) typically involves the concomitant packaging of the contents to be contained in the respective compartments of the container. A possible procedure for assembling the container (333) and packaging said contents may be as follows. The cup shaped lower member (332) is filled with a first content, whereby the content level is maintained below the circumferential rim (11). This is followed by adhering an intercompartment membrane (8) to the circumferential rim (11), for instance by induction welding of a seal to the circumferential rim, thus enclosing the first content in the lower compartment (3). Thereafter, the upper member (331) is mounted on the lower member by engaging the lower circumferential barb (122) on the inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) with the circumferential barb (121) on the outer side of the internal circumferential collar of the lower member (332). The assembly of the upper (331) and lower member (332) provides an upper compartment (2), being enclosed by the intercompartment membrane (8), the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332) and the circumferential wall of the upper member (331), whereby the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332) and the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) partially overlap. This upper compartment (2) of the container can be filled with a second content through the closable opening (60). After filling the upper compartment (2), the closable opening (60) is closed by the lid (64).

In an alternative procedure for assembling the container (333) and packaging said contents therein, the upper member (331), of which the closable opening (60) at its top end is closed by the lid (64), is reversed such that it can be filled with said second content through the opening enclosed by the inner circumferential wall (100). The cup-shaped lower member (332) is filled and sealed as previously described. Thereafter, the filled and sealed lower member (332) is reversed and mounted on the reversed upper member (331) by engaging the lower circumferential barb (122) on the inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) with the circumferential barb (121) on the outer side of the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332). The assembled container can then be placed in its upright position.

Regardless of the used assembly procedure, it is important that the upper member (331) is mounted on the lower member (332) such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) is positioned sufficiently above the intercompartment membrane (8) avoiding inadvertent piercing of this membrane. The rim sections (183) at the upper side of the one or more segments (182) of the external circumferential collar (44) act as downward blocking means preventing that the upper member (331) is positioned too far down on the upper member. These segments (182) further serve as tamper-evident, which if absent, moved or removed from the external circumferential collar (44) indicate that the upper member may have been lowered to the extent that the piercing means teeth (102) damaged the integrity of the intercompartment membrane (8). In the assembled container the upward movement of the upper member (331) is prevented by the interaction of the lower circumferential barb (122) on the inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) with the circumferential barb (121) on the outer side of the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332).

In order to combine the contents contained in the upper and lower compartment, the user should pull out the segments (182), thus moving outwards the rim sections (183), thus allowing to push down the upper member (331), whereby a segment (13) of its external circumferential wall (40) moves down between the internal (7) and external (44) circumferential collar of the lower member (332). The downward movement of the upper member is eventually completed when either or both (i) the bottom edge of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) contacts the rim (47) connecting the internal (7) and external (44) circumferential collars of the lower member (331) and/or (ii) the upper edge (25) of the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332) contacts the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331), preferably at the level of the mating shape (24) therein. Upon said blocking of the downward movement, the upper circumferential barb (123) on the inner side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) has descended to interact with the circumferential barb (121) at the outer side of the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332), thus preventing the upward movement of the lowered upper member (331). The set of circumferential barbs ((121), (122) and (123)) thereby acts as an upward blocking means according to the principle represented in FIG. 42 F. The circumferential barb (121) at the outer side of the internal circumferential collar (7) of the lower member (332), of which most external extremity touches the inner side of the adjoining overlapping parallel wall segment (13) encompassed by the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331), also acts as a dynamic sealing structure (cfr. (19)). The downward movement of the upper member further can cause the piercing means (10) to pierce the intercompartment membrane (8) along a partially circumferential piercing path, whereby a connection is maintained between the circumferential rim (11) and the intercompartment membrane (8) along a non-pierced membrane segment (106). The smooth-edged segment (103) at the bottom of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) then acts on the intercompartment membrane (8) to fold it downwards from the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is attached (FIG. 27). In the assembled container (333), the longitudinal ridges (163) on the outer side of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (331) and longitudinal the ridges (162) on the inner side of the external circumferential collar (44) of the lower member (332) engage to provide guidance means (18) in the form of longitudinal straight linear motion bearings, which prevent the rotation of the upper member (331) with respect to the lower member (332). Preventing this rotation has the advantage that it avoids the rotation of the piercing means (10) while penetrating the intercompartment membrane (8). Such rotation of the piercing means may result in the unwanted disruption of the connection between the non-pierced membrane segment (106) and the circumferential rim (11).

The piercing of the intercompartment membrane (8) provides for the combining of the content of the upper compartment (2) and lower compartment (3). Optionally, the user may shake the container to further mix said first and second content before opening the closable opening (60), through which the mixed contents can be evacuated after opening the closable opening (23).

Example 4

A particular embodiment of the container according to the present invention is presented in FIG. 53. The container of this example is an elaboration of the embodiment schematically represented in FIG. 6. The container (343) according to this illustrative embodiment comprises an upper (2) and lower compartment (3) separated by an intercompartment membrane (8) and is obtained by assembling three individual members, referred to as the upper member (341), the lower member (342), and the middle member (344). Preferably, the upper member (341), lower member (342) and middle member (344) are made in a plastic material using injection moulding.

The container (343) comprises a piercing means, according to the configuration shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, located in the upper member (341). The container (343) comprises guidance means (18), according to the configuration shown in FIG. 25 A, with internal helical threads (171) on the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (341) and external helical threads (171) on the circumferential collar (7) of the middle member (344), whereby said circumferential collar (7) acts at the static part of the circumferential upper-compartment wall. The container (343) further comprises an upward blocking means in the form of a ratchet means, according to a configuration shown in FIGS. 43 C and D. Said upward blocking means comprises one or more pawls (200), for instance two pawls (200), connected longitudinally to the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100), which interact with a plurality of longitudinal ridges (201) positioned longitudinally at the inner side of the circumferential collar (7) of the middle member (344). The container (343) further comprises a removable downward blocking means in the form of a circumferential tear strip (184) with a pull tab (185), which is connected via a weakening line (186) to the bottom edge of the external circumferential wall (40) of the upper member (341). After tearing off the downward blocking means ((184),(185)), the upper member (341) can be moved downwards relative to the middle (344) and lower member (342) by a movement guided by the helical threaded screw type guidance means (18), thereby allowing the piercing means teeth (102) at the bottom of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) to pierce the intercompartment membrane (8) along the partially circumferential piercing path. During said downwards movement, the smooth-edged segment (103) at the bottom of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) acts on the intercompartment membrane (8) to fold it downwards from the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is attached. The downward movement of the upper member (341) relative to the middle member (344) is completed when the top edge (25) of the circumferential collar (7) of the middle member (344) touches a mating shape (24) on a circumferential rim of the upper member (341) that connects the external circumferential wall (40) to the circumferential upper-compartment wall (5). The container (343) comprises a dynamic sealing structure (19) located on the inner side of the circumferential collar (7) of the middle member (344), whereby the most internal extremity of said dynamic sealing structure touches the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) of the upper member (341). The container (343) comprises a membrane folding means (150) with a hinge region (151), according to the configuration shown in FIGS. 33 and 34, whereby said membrane folding means (150) is connected to the circumferential rim (32) of the middle member (344) and lies over the intercompartment membrane (8) adhered to the top circumferential rim (11) of the lower member (342). In the container (343), the middle member (344) is connected via its circumferential skirt (30) to the upper segment of the lower-compartment circumferential wall (6) of the lower member (342) through a threaded screw connection (31) and interacting barbs (125). The container (343) comprises a closure means in the form of a cap (62) allowing to close the closable opening (60) at the top of the upper member (341).

Mounting and filling of the container (323) can be done as described before for the container of FIG. 6.

Example 5

A particular embodiment of the container according to the present invention is presented in FIG. 54. The container of this example is an elaboration of the embodiment schematically represented in FIG. 14. The container (353) according to this illustrative embodiment comprises an upper (2) and lower compartment (3) separated by an intercompartment membrane (8) and is obtained by assembling two individual members, referred to as the upper member (351) and lower member (352). Preferably, the upper member (351) and lower member (352) are made in a plastic material using injection moulding.

The container (353) comprises a combination of an upward blocking means and guidance means (18) in the form of a directional screw means according to the configuration shown in FIGS. 44 C and D, located between adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments ((13) and (12)) on the circumferential skirt (20) of the upper member (351) and on the external circumferential wall (52) of the lower member (352), respectively. The directional screw means comprises a pawl (200) connected longitudinally to the outer side of an internally recessed zone (204) of the external circumferential wall (52) of the lower member (352), whereby said pawl (200) interacts with longitudinally aligned ratchet teeth (203) positioned at regular intervals along internal helical threads (171) on the inner side of the circumferential skirt (20) of the upper member (351). Furthermore, in the container (353), external helical threads (170) on the outer side of the external circumferential wall (52) of the lower member (352), which are interrupted within said internally recessed zone (204), engage with said internal helical threads (171) on the inner side of the circumferential skirt (20) of the upper member (351) to form helical threaded screw type guidance means. The directional screw means of the container (353) allows the upper member (351) to be screwed downwards relative to the lower member (352), but prevents upwards unscrewing of said upper member (351) relative to the lower member (352). The container (353) further comprises a removable downward blocking means in the form of a tear tab (181), which is connected via a weakening line (186) to the bottom edge of the external circumferential wall (52) of the lower member (352). After removal of the downward blocking means on the container (353) through tearing, the upper member (351) can be moved downwards relative to the lower member (352) by a movement guided by the directional screw means. The container (353) comprises a piercing means, according to the configuration shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, located in the upper member (351). During said downwards movement of the upper member (351) relative to the lower member (352) the piercing means teeth (102) at the bottom of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) of the upper member (351) pierce along the partially circumferential piercing path the intercompartment membrane (8) adhered to the circumferential rim (11) at the top of the lower member (351). During said downwards movement, the smooth-edged segment (103) at the bottom of the circumferential piercing means wall (100) acts on the intercompartment membrane (8) to fold it downwards from the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment (106) is attached. The downward movement of the upper member (351) relative to the lower member (352) is completed when the top edge of the external circumferential wall (52) of the lower member (352) touches a mating shape (28) at the top of the circumferential skirt (20) of the upper member (351), thereby also sealing off in a liquid tight way the upper compartment (2) from the outside of the container (353). The neck region of the upper member (351) has an asymmetric shape to provide for an eccentric positioning of the centroid of the closable opening (60) with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall (100), according to the configuration shown in FIG. 46. The container (353) comprises a closure means in the form of an impervious removable sealing membrane (63) with a pull tab (169) allowing to close the closable opening (60) at the top of the upper member (351).

Mounting and filling of the container (323) can be done as described before for the container of FIG. 14. 

1-49. (canceled)
 50. A container for keeping contents in separate compartments before use comprising: an upper compartment for keeping a first content, said upper compartment being connected to a lower compartment for keeping a second content, whereby said upper compartment and lower compartment are separated from each other by an intercompartment membrane that is connected or adhered to a circumferential rim along the circumferential enclosure of the container, and wherein at least a moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment can be moved downwards relative to the lower compartment, one or more upward blocking means for preventing an upward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment relative to the lower compartment, a piercing means comprising a circumferential piercing means wall with one or more sharp-edged structures at its bottom edge, said piercing means being mounted in the upper compartment above the intercompartment membrane and being statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment, and a closable opening within the enclosure of the upper compartment; wherein said intercompartment membrane is mounted substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container; wherein said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment causes a downward movement of the piercing means such that the bottom edge of the circumferential piercing means wall can pierce the intercompartment membrane along a partially circumferential piercing path, whereby a connection is maintained between the pierced membrane and the circumferential rim along the circumferential enclosure of the container through a non-pierced segment of the membrane; wherein said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment causes the descent of at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing, such that the pierced membrane can be folded downwards, thereby confining at least part of the pierced membrane between the outer side of the circumferential piercing means wall and the inner side of the circumferential wall of the lower compartment; wherein said upward blocking means, after piercing of the intercompartment membrane prevents the upward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment relative to the lower compartment in order to maintain at least part of the circumferential piercing means wall below the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing; wherein after piercing of the intercompartment membrane, the contents of the upper compartment and the lower compartment can be mixed within the interior space provided by the combined compartments and evacuated through said closable opening; and wherein the design of said container incites the user, when evacuating the content of the container through said closable opening, to tilt the container in its assembled pierced state such that the midpoint of the non-pierced membrane segment is situated above the horizontal plane through the centroid of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing, in order to minimize the interference of the pierced membrane with the flow of said content.
 51. The container according to claim 50 wherein the centroid of said closable opening is eccentric in the transverse dimension with respect to the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall.
 52. The container according to claim 50 further comprising a circumferential enclosure comprising at least one pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments of which at least one is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and at least one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment; and wherein the container comprises engaging guidance means mounted between said pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments for guiding said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment.
 53. The container according to claim 50 wherein said upward blocking means prevents the upward movement relative to the lower compartment of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment in order to prevent the dislodging of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment.
 54. The container according to claim 50 wherein said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment causes the descent of a part of the circumferential piercing means wall that is adjacent to the circumferential rim section to which the non-pierced membrane segment is attached, below the plane of the intercompartment membrane, in its state before piercing, over a longitudinal distance from said plane corresponding to at least 2% of the length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall.
 55. The container according to claim 50 wherein, in its assembled pierced state and upon completion of said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment, the angle between the longitudinal plane going through the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall and the centroid of the closable opening and the longitudinal plane going through the centroid of the transverse cross-section of the circumferential piercing means wall and the midpoint of the non-pierced membrane segment is between 135° and 225°.
 56. The container according to claim 50 wherein the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall comprises a smooth-edged segment for providing said non-pierced membrane segment; wherein the bottom edge of said smooth-edged segment is smooth and blunt; wherein the bottom edge of said smooth-edged segment is positioned in the longitudinal dimension above the lowest point of any of the sharp-edged structures; wherein said bottom edge of said smooth-edged segment comprises an uninterrupted section encompassing more than 50% of said bottom edge that lies within a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing; and wherein said downward movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper-compartment wall causes the descent of the piercing means such that part of the bottom edge of the smooth-edged segment is situated below the plane of the lowest intercompartment membrane, in its state before piercing, at a longitudinal distance from said plane corresponding to at least 2% of the length of the transverse cross-section enclosed by the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall.
 57. A container according to claim 50 wherein the bottom part of the circumferential piercing means wall comprises three or more sharp-edged structures of which the lowest points are situated substantially along a virtual path that is sloped relative to the plane of the intercompartment membrane in its state before piercing.
 58. A container according to claim 52 further comprising dynamic sealing structures mounted between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments for minimizing the risk of leakage of liquids from the container and/or for minimizing the exchange of gases between the inside and the outside of the container, whereby one of said pair of overlapping parallel wall segments is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment.
 59. The container according to claim 58 wherein said dynamic sealing structures and said guidance means are mounted between different pairs of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments.
 60. A container according to claim 52 wherein said guidance means are helical threaded screws or helical motion bearings and wherein said upward blocking means comprise: one or more flexible ratchet pawls, and a plurality of longitudinally oriented ratchet teeth; wherein said pawls are connected longitudinally to one of a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, of which one is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment and wherein said plurality of longitudinally oriented ratchet teeth are connected to the other wall segment of said pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, such that upon helical downward movement of said moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment said pawls can slide over said ratchet teeth, while upon movement in the upward direction, the ratchet pawl and ratchet teeth engage, leading to a substantial blocking of the upward movement.
 61. A container according to claim 52 wherein said guidance means are helical threaded screws and wherein said upward blocking means are integrated between a pair of adjoining overlapping parallel wall segments, of which at least one is part of or is statically connected to the circumferential wall of the lower compartment and at least one other is part of or is statically connected to the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment, and wherein said upward blocking means comprise: an internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment of which the outer side comprises a recessed zone that is internal with respect to the virtual cylinder coinciding with the remainder of said overlapping parallel wall segment, one or more external helical threads on the outer side of said internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment, whereby said threads are interrupted within said internally recessed zone, a flexible ratchet pawl connected longitudinally to said internally recessed zone of the internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment, one or more internal helical threads on the inner side of the externally positioned adjoining overlapping parallel wall segment, which can engage with said external helical threads, and whereby said internal helical threads comprise a plurality of equally sized ratchet teeth positioned at regular intervals, wherein the ratchet pawl on the internally recessed zone of the internally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment interacts with the ratchet teeth on the internal helical threads of the externally positioned overlapping parallel wall segment, such that upon movement of the moveable part of the circumferential wall of the upper compartment in a helical downward direction, the ratchet pawl slides over the ratchet teeth, while upon movement in a helical upward direction, the ratchet pawl and ratchet teeth engage, leading to a substantial blocking of the upward movement.
 62. A container according to claim 50 wherein the enclosure of said container consists of: two members, which can be mounted on each other to provide the circumferential, bottom and top enclosure of the container, and one or more closure means for closing said closable opening.
 63. A container according to claim 62 wherein said members are produced by injection moulding.
 64. A container according to claim 50 wherein, over at least a substantial longitudinal distance, the transverse cross sections through the circumferential enclosure of the upper compartment have only one circumferential wall. 